Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Influence or coincidence? The Ballon d’Or calculation is causing controversy ahead of the World Cup final
Hours before the final of the 2026 World Cup, talk was no longer limited to the identity of the expected champion, but spread to the world of football’s most famous individual race, after the official score of the Ballon d’Or sparked a wave of controversy with an unusual move that many saw as a message that Lionel Messi would return to the top of the contenders for the award.
All eyes are on Argentina’s upcoming clash with Spain tomorrow, Sunday, as it could not only decide the World Cup title but could also decide the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner, with competition between some of the game’s biggest stars set to be tight.
Messi appears to be the best candidate so far after his excellent performance at the 2026 World Cup as he leads the goalscoring charts with 8 goals in addition to 4 assists to assist in 12 goals, a tally not achieved by any player since 1970.
A publication that once again brought controversy to the fore
Hours before the final, the Ballon d’Or’s official page posted a dramatic reminder confirming that “a player who is active outside of European leagues is eligible to win the award”, a move many described as unusual at the time.
The Golden Ball score has been republished Article on the award’s official website He talks about the right of players active outside continental Europe to win the award, and the irony is that Portugal star and Messi’s rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who is virtually out of contention to win the award, has a picture at the top of the article.
The official website revealed in the same article that Messi is the only player to have won the award despite playing for a non-European team, and that was in 2023 when he won it with Inter Miami of the United States.
The publication came to force Messi’s name back into the nominations as he is still active at Inter Miami, prompting the paper.come onThe Spanish newspaper considered that message a prelude to the possibility of being crowned with that award for the 9th time in his career, if he leads his country to the World Cup title.
A final that could decide everything
According to AS, Argentina’s title win would make Messi the top contender to win the Ballon d’Or after he combined this season with winning the American League with Inter Miami and the chance to add a second World Cup to his career, which could take his record tally to a new level despite being 39 years old.
The report says that the worldwide acclaim Messi enjoys, in addition to his achievements this season, makes his chances of winning the award strong if he can lead his country to the title.
Read also:
A dream ahead of time… In the World Cup, Messi’s wish came true after 20 years!
And if Spain wins?
On the other hand, the report states that Spain’s crowning will not decide the Ballon d’Or race with the same certainty, as young star Lamine Yamal, who has combined a Spanish league title with a chance to win the World Cup, could be favored.
Rhodri’s name is also actively present, especially after the great position he enjoys among a number of critics, after he was previously crowned with the award two editions ago.
The final could decide the fate of the competitors
The report suggests that the hopes of the remaining contenders, such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olissi and Ousmane Dembele, could be tied to the outcome of the final.
If Messi wins the World Cup, their chances will be greatly reduced, while the competition could return to square one if Spain manage to knock off Argentina.
While there was no official comment linking the tally to the award’s trends, its timing opened the door to wide-ranging questions about whether the message was merely an organizational clarification or an early indication that Messi’s path to the Ballon d’Or has been cleared if he returns from the World Cup finals.
