The 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or have been announced, with 39-year-old Messi among them. The official Ballon d'Or listed the candidates' statistics during the evaluation period (August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026), with Messi directly involved in 75 goals.

During the Ballon d'Or cycle, Messi played 49 games, contributing 45 goals and 30 assists, winning the MLS Cup and finishing as World Cup runner-up. In the MLS playoffs, Messi delivered an outstanding performance with 6 goals and 7 assists in 6 games, earning the MVP award. In the World Cup, Messi contributed 8 goals and 4 assists in 8 games, winning the World Cup Silver Ball award.

Ballon d'Or Nominee Forwards' Stats During the Cycle

Kane (81): 65 appearances, 73 goals, 8 assists

Messi (75): 49 appearances, 45 goals, 30 assists

Mbappe (71): 60 appearances, 58 goals, 13 assists

Haaland (69): 64 appearances, 58 goals, 11 assists

Olise (62): 69 appearances, 27 goals, 35 assists

Diaz (53): 66 appearances, 30 goals, 23 assists

Quiñones (46): 46 appearances, 41 goals, 5 assists

Lamine Yamal (45): 57 appearances, 25 goals, 20 assists

Vinicius (44): 66 appearances, 28 goals, 16 assists

Lautaro (40): 55 appearances, 30 goals, 10 assists

Dembele (40): 51 appearances, 26 goals, 14 assists

Mane (37): 55 appearances, 24 goals, 13 assists

Kvaratskhelia (34): 57 appearances, 24 goals, 10 assists

Ferran Torres (32): 65 appearances, 25 goals, 7 assists

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