Messi nominated for 2026 Ballon d’Or
Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- Lionel Messi has been nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or after missing from the shortlist for two years.
- He scored eight goals during Argentina’s run to the last World Cup final and is joined on the list by Lautaro Martínez.
- Argentina’s Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez was nominated for the Lev Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.
Lionel Messi is back among the Ballon d’Or nominees after a two-year absence, returning to the shortlist for the award presented by France Football.
The Argentine star’s nomination follows his role as one of Argentina’s leading figures at the last World Cup. He scored eight goals as Lionel Scaloni’s team reached the final.
Messi shares Argentina’s presence on the Ballon d’Or list with Lautaro Martínez. Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez is also a candidate for the Lev Yashin Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper.
Messi remains the award’s record winner, with eight Ballon d’Or victories and 14 podium finishes. His first nomination came in 2006, when he was 19 and emerging at FC Barcelona. He won the prize for the first time in 2009.
About this summary
Originally published by Cooperativa in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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