Ballon d’Or 2026: ‘There’s no outright favourite, give it to Messi’ – Arshavin tells organisers

Former Arsenal player Andrey Arshavin has said that Lionel Messi merits the 2026 Ballon d’Or award.

The Russian contended that no clear favourite exists for this prestigious individual accolade and maintained that the Argentina captain should receive the honour based on his performances during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Arshavin’s position diverges from the prevailing discourse established by Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe regarding the 2026 Ballon d’Or competition.

Barcelona’s Yamal has publicly declared that he deserves the award over Mbappe due to the trophies he secured during the previous season.

Mbappe, conversely, has referenced his goal-scoring record as justification for why he should claim the Ballon d’Or ahead of Yamal.

The French forward did not secure a trophy during the previous season; however, he achieved top scorer status in La Liga, the Champions League, and the FIFA World Cup.

England captain, Harry Kane, is an additional formidable contender following his achievement of scoring the highest number of goals across Europe last season. Nevertheless, Arshavin does not regard any of these three athletes as definitive favourites for the award this month.

The former Arsenal player emphasised how Lionel Messi independently propelled Argentina to the World Cup final as the principal justification for his selection. Arshavin further noted how the eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient facilitated Inter Miami in securing their inaugural MLS championship.

In remarks to Sports.ru, Arshavin said, “It appears to me that no clear favourite exists for the Ballon d’Or this year. However, I would award it to Messi. He delivered an exceptional World Cup, propelling Argentina nearly independently.

“Regrettably, he was unable to guide the team to ultimate victory; nevertheless, he demonstrated outstanding performances for both the national team and Inter Miami.

“Furthermore, he directed the organization to their first league title. This would represent an appropriate concluding achievement given the absence of an evident contender.”