Simeone Drops Unexpected Reason Why Messi Tops Yamal and Dembele for 2026 Ballon d’Or Race

Messi’s nomination marks his 17th career appearance on the Ballon d’Or shortlist, one behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 18, with the last of his eight wins coming back in 2023.

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Ousmane Dembele responds to Kylian Mbappe as Ballon d’Or comments reportedly spark France feud

The 2026 ceremony, the award’s 70th edition, will be held on October 26 in London for the first time, moving away from its traditional Paris venue as a tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the competition’s first-ever winner in 1956.

Yamal and Dembele had already staked their claims

Simeone’s remarks came just days after Lamine Yamal made his own case public. The Barcelona winger said he and Kylian Mbappe are “the best in the world” at the moment, but argued that he personally deserves the 2026 award more than his French rival, pointing to his season with Spain’s World Cup title alongside LaLiga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona.

Ousmane Dembele, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, made an equally bold statement of his own. “It is going to stay in the hands of a PSG player. I’m a competitor, so it’s my goal to win it again,” the Frenchman said, responding to comments from teammate Mbappe about their differing career paths before adding that he isn’t turning the pursuit into an obsession, given how open this year’s race remains.

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