Atlético Madrid star: ‘Leo Messi should win the Ballon d’Or’ | OneFootball

Atlético Madrid star Cristian Romero has early this week revealed his take that fellow countryman Lionel Messi is deserving of this year’s Ballon d’Or award.

The subject of the 2026 ‘Golden Ball’ has of course dominated the headlines across world football over the course of the last fortnight. This comes after the 30-man shortlist for the prize was unveiled by France Football.

The race to be named football’s standout performer for the last 12 months is as things stand considered wide open, with as many as five players in the running for the accolade.

The current frontrunners in the eyes of most are Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane.

Another name to have been pushed by a number of high-profile figures over recent days, though, is the aforementioned Lionel Messi. And as alluded to above, on Monday, the 39-year-old was publicly backed by an international teammate.

Speaking during an interview with ESPN, as cited by journalist Fabrizio Romano, Atlético Madrid summer signing Cristian Romero insisted:

“The Ballon d’Or should be given to Leo Messi. Until he retires, that’s clear. There is no one like him. Surely when he decides not to play anymore, then we will have to see who to give it to!”

Conor Laird – GSFN