David Beckham says Lionel Messi should win the Ballon d’Or, and Wednesday’s 100th goal for Inter Miami gave that view more force. Messi reached the milestone in the 24th minute. Beckham’s case is built on what Messi is still doing at 39, not on reputation alone.
Beckham's Ballon d’Or argument
Speaking to goal.com, Beckham said: "When you see him do things like this, when you see him have the World Cup that he's had, there is no one at 39 that's doing that, and doing it at that level. He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d'Or. In my opinion, he should win it."
That line is backed by Messi’s World Cup output. He scored 8 goals in 8 appearances, added 4 assists and posted an 8.77 average rating across the tournament. He also played 771 minutes, so this was not a brief burst of form.
Casemiro, speaking to si.com, added: "With him, anything is possible. He proved that at the World Cup, but that’s not for me to say"
Inter Miami's trophy night
The milestone came in a 2-0 win over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup, and Beckham also pointed to the value of that night for the club. "Any trophy for this club is very special, and to win this trophy in our new stadium, the first trophy in this stadium, is very special," he said.
For Inter Miami, that was the first-ever Campeones Cup triumph. For Messi, it was another landmark on a run that keeps feeding the Ballon d’Or argument. The ceremony is set for 26 October in London, and Beckham has already made his pick clear.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
