Zinedine Zidane has offered his full endorsement to Lionel Messi in the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, describing the Argentine’s continued presence among the footballing elite at age 39 as an achievement too extraordinary to ignore.
The endorsement from the Real Madrid and France legend came after Messi was officially named among the nominees for the prestigious honor, following an exceptional campaign with Inter Miami and the Argentine national team.
“If I had a vote, I would choose Messi a hundred times over; people don’t realize how difficult it is to remain among the best in the world at 39 years old,” Zidane said in statements quoted by Marca.
The French manager expressed full confidence in the Argentine captain’s ability to add a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or to his cabinet, adding: “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Messi wins the Ballon d’Or.”
Zidane’s praise extended beyond the individual award race to address the historic debate surrounding football’s greatest player of all time. “If someone still doubts that he is the greatest, then they truly don’t understand football,” he asserted.
The significance of these remarks is heightened given Zidane’s iconic stature—as a Ballon d’Or winner in 1998, a World Cup winner as a player, and the mastermind behind a historic managerial era at Real Madrid before taking charge of the French national team.
Messi concluded his club season with an impressive tally of 45 goals and 30 assists in 49 appearances for Inter Miami, driving them to the MLS title, before netting 8 goals to guide Argentina to the World Cup final.
He now faces fierce competition from Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Rodri, and the rest of the nominees ahead of the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, which will be hosted for the first time in London on October 26.
