France legend Zinedine Zidane has said he would vote for Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, claiming he would back him "100 times." Messi was named among the 30-man shortlist of nominees released by France Football on Tuesday. According to the report, the Argentine earned his nomination after a season in which he led Inter Miami to the MLS title, scoring 45 goals and providing 30 assists.

France Football has released its list of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with eight-time winner Lionel Messi and young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal among those selected, according to a report by Punch. The publication shared the full list of players in contention for football's most prestigious individual award, which honours the best performer of the season. Fans can review the complete selection to see which players made the cut for this year's prize.

Ten Paris Saint-Germain players have been included on a 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, a historic record for a single club, according to award organizers who released the list on Tuesday. Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are among the nominees, while Cristiano Ronaldo was left out. The award is given annually to the player voted the best in the world for the year, with the shortlist determined ahead of the final voting process.

Lionel Messi stated that he is not concerned about his age after becoming the all-time scorer in World Cup history just before his 39th birthday. He achieved this milestone by surpassing Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals with a first-half goal during Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria in Dallas, where he scored another goal as well.

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has said he will not beg or campaign to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or award. Speaking to the media ahead of his side's Champions League clash on Wednesday, the teenager said voters would determine who takes home the individual prize in October. The comments, reported by Nigeria's Daily Post, come as speculation builds over this year's candidates for football's most prestigious individual honour.

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has become the first player to receive a Ballon d'Or nomination three times before turning 20, according to the Daily Post. The 19-year-old finished second in last year's award, behind Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele. His latest nomination for the 2026 edition follows what the report describes as an outstanding season for both club and country, further cementing the Spain international's status as one of world football's brightest young talents.