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39-year-old Lionel Messi finishes 5th in 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings
39-year-old Lionel Messi has come 5th in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings.
The awards which were announced on Monday in a ceremony at the London Palladium saw English star player Harry Kane lifting the Ballon d’Or title, though the spotlight remained on the football icon who has defied age to secure a 5th place.
Kylian Mbappe of France and Lamine Yamal of Spain came 2nd and 3rd respectively, while Real Madrid and Spanish midfielder Rodri who won the Golden Ball at the 2026 FIFA world cup emerged 4th.
The Inter Miami superstar’s performance at the 2026 World Cup and his US-side club returned him to the top 5.
Messi secured 8 goals and 4 assists to lead Argentina into the final of the 2026 World Cup where they lost to Spain by a lone goal.
The Argentine star captained his Inter Miami side to win the Major League Soccer title and the Campeones Cup in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
Messi however did not attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London but remained in Miami instead to participate in the youths tournament and the Messi Cup.
Harry Kane who emerged winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, has become the first English player to win the award in 25 years.
Kane also won the Men’s Striker of the Year award, following his 73 goals for club and country across all competitions in the 2025/2026 campaign.
