Lionel Messi slipped Ibrahim Maza into his ranking for the best young player of the season trophy. The Algerian midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen, author of five goals and seven assists in 44 games during his first season in Germany, finished ninth with a point, collected thanks to the vote of the eight-time Ballon d’Or. At the age of 20, he became the first Algerian player to be among the ten finalists for this award reserved for under-21s. To choose the winner, the former winners of the Ballon d’Or each compose their podium.
The Argentina captain placed Maza third, behind Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí, according to The Team. This support comes a few months after their confrontation during the 2026 World Cup, won 3-0 by Argentina. Despite Messi’s hat-trick, the young Fennec made an impression with his performance and even delivered a pass for Farès Chaïbi in an action that was ultimately canceled for offside.
