Former Arsenal star Andrey Arshavin has claimed that Lionel Messi deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or. The Russian believes there is no outright favorite for the individual honor this year and opined that the Argentina captain should be handed the award for his performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Arshavin’s comments contradict the narrative set by Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Barcelona star Yamal publicly stated that he deserves to win the award ahead of Mbappe because of the trophies he won last season.
