Ballon d’Or: Six journalists rank Messi first

Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi has tears in his eyes as celebrates winning the 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on July 7, 2026. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

Despite finishing fifth in the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or rankings, Lionel Messi received first-place votes from six countries, including traditional rivals Brazil.

The voting breakdown released by France Football on its website on Friday showed that journalists representing Argentina, Brazil, Belarus, China, Panama and the United Arab Emirates ranked the Inter Miami forward as the best player in the world.

Each journalist’s first-place selection earned Messi 15 points, contributing to his final tally of 612 points.

The 39-year-old finished fifth in the overall rankings, behind winner Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Rodri.

Brazil’s decision to rank Messi first was among the notable voting choices, given the country’s long-standing football rivalry with Argentina.

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Kane won the award with 1,055 points, just 28 ahead of Mbappé, who finished second with 1,027 points. Yamal came third with 881 points, while Rodri occupied fourth position with 726 points.

Messi’s six first-place votes were more than the number received by 2025 winner Ousmane Dembélé, who did not finish first on any of the 100 ballots.

Dembélé, who placed seventh overall with 418 points, was ranked second by journalists from Burkina Faso, China, France, Georgia, Haiti, North Macedonia and Nigeria.

The 2026 award was the fourth-closest men’s Ballon d’Or vote in the competition’s history, with Kane edging Mbappé by 28 points.

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