Lionel Messi should receive the 2026 Ballon d’Or simply because he continues to play, according to ESPN analyst Kenneth Perez. In a debate broadcast ahead of the October 26, 2026 award ceremony, Perez placed the Inter Miami forward at the top of his personal five-player shortlist, ranking him above Lamine Yamal.

Perez Places Messi First Above Yamal

Perez defended his selection by pointing to Messi’s enduring impact on the pitch at age 39. “As long as Messi is still playing football, you can just mail that trophy straight to him,” Perez stated on ESPN. “He also played a fantastic World Cup, and in MLS he is still doing very cool things. He remains phenomenal.”

While betting markets view the Argentine veteran as an outsider for the prize, Perez positioned Yamal directly behind him in second place. The analyst described the Barcelona right winger as Messi’s ‘successor’. “He is going to be the best football player in the world in the coming years,” Perez said. “Aside from all the goals Kane has scored, it is not comparable to what those two are doing.”

Analyst Panel Splits Favor Mbappé and Yamal

Perez stood alone among a panel of twelve ESPN analysts in selecting Messi for the prestigious individual honor. Four analysts—Kees Kwakman, Bram van Polen, Hans Kraay junior, and Arnold Bruggink—voted for Kylian Mbappé. Another five analysts, including Marciano Vink, Hedwiges Maduro, Anco Jansen, Ali Boussaboun, and Karim El Ahmadi, backed Yamal to claim the trophy.

Harry Kane secured support from two analysts on the panel: Kees Luijckx and Danny Koevermans. The Bayern Munich striker has enjoyed a prolific scoring run, recently finding the net in his tenth Champions League match during a draw against Arsenal, where he also provided a brilliant assist for Alphonso Davies to score the 1-1 equalizer before netting a penalty for 2-1. Ruud van Nistelrooij and Robert Lewandowski previously managed to score in nine consecutive matches in the premier European club tournament, while Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record with goals in eleven successive games, a milestone Kane can equal when visiting Atlético Madrid. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice praised his compatriot after that fixture, calling him “the clear winner” based on his output over the past year.

Complete List Consists Solely of Attackers

Perez rounded out his top five with Mbappé in third, Kane in fourth, and Erling Haaland in fifth. Every player on the analyst's list is an attacker. Perez argued that the Ballon d’Or is a prize for attacking players, expressing surprise that Fabio Cannavaro captured the accolade.

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham echoed backing for Messi in an interview with the BBC, pointing to the forward’s eight-goal haul for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup. “If you see him doing those things, if you saw him during the World Cup… there is no one at 39 years old who can do that at this level,” Beckham said. “He certainly has to be taken into consideration for the Ballon d’Or.” Messi already won the Ballon d’Or eight times in his career, most recently in 2023.

The voting panels and bookmakers continue to weigh candidates ahead of the official ceremony on Monday, October 26, 2026.