
Zinedine Zidane expressed his support for Lionel Messi winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or, praising his continued performance at the age of 39, in light of his competition among a list of 30 candidates, including Mbappe and Haaland.
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Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times previously, most recently in 2023. Messi is currently nominated among a list of 30 players for the award in 2026.
Zinedine Zidane, coach of the France national team, said that Lionel Messi deserves to win the Ballon d'Or for the best football player in 2026.
Messi was on the list of candidates for the Ballon d'Or this year, which included 30 names, including the Frenchmen Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembélé, the Norwegian Erling Haaland, and the Englishman Harry Kane.
The Argentine star has previously won the Ballon d'Or 8 times, most recently in 2023.
In statements reported by the TNT Sports network on Wednesday, Zidane said: “I think people don’t really understand how amazing it is to still be among the best players in the world at the age of 39.”
The 54-year-old coach continued: “I will vote for Lionel Messi 100 times. I will not be surprised if he wins the award.”
What has Messi done recently?
He contributed 52 goals in 30 matches with Inter Miami in the American League, scoring 29 times and providing 23 assists.
He participated in 8 matches in the 2026 World Cup, scoring 8 goals and making 4 others.

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