Messi nominated for Ballon d'Or for the 17th time

French magazine France Football has included Argentine forward of American club Inter Miami Lionel Messi in the list of nominees for the Ballon d'Or — the award for the best footballer of the 2025/26 season.

This was announced by the award's press service.

Last season, Messi became the champion of the North American Major League Soccer (MLS) and was named the league's best player for the second consecutive time, scoring 43 goals and providing 26 assists in 49 matches. As part of the Argentine national team, he reached the World Cup final, where the team lost to Spain (0:1 in extra time). Over the course of the World Cup, the forward scored 8 goals and provided 4 assists. After the tournament, he retired from the Argentine national team.

Messi holds second place for the number of Ballon d'Or nominations — 17. He trails only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (18) in this regard. At the same time, the Argentine holds a record eight Ballon d'Or awards.

Messi is 39 years old and has been playing for Inter Miami since 2023. In Europe, the Argentine played for French club PSG and Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won the Champions League four times, the UEFA Super Cup three times, and the FIFA Club World Cup three times. The forward is a World Cup champion (2022), a two-time World Cup silver medalist (2014, 2026), an Olympic champion (2008), and a two-time Copa América winner (2021, 2024). Messi holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or awards (8).

Messi played 207 matches for the Argentine national team and scored 125 goals. He holds the national team record in both categories. The forward participated in six World Cups.

The award ceremony will be held on October 26 in London, for the first time outside of Paris.