Tick-tock, tick-tock… It is in less than two weeks that Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ©’s successor on the Ballon d’Or list will be known. If the Parisian is one of the favorites, as champion of France and winner of the Champions League with PSG, many other candidates are applying for the prestigious trophy.
France Footballwhich will be presented on October 26 in London.
Among them are Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Rodri, Michael Olise, Fabian Ruiz and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. At 39, Lionel Messi could also have claimed it if he had won the 2026 World Cup final with Argentina, but the eight-time winner will undoubtedly have to settle for a place of honor, possibly in the top 10.
Lionel Messi will award the Ballon d’Or to the winner
No reason to shy away from the pleasure of “la Pulga” who, according to journalist Juan Jesus, will be present in the English capital during the ceremony, with an important role to play.
“The presence of the Argentine star is not symbolic: he will be responsible for hand-delivering the prestigious trophy to the new winner of this edition on stage”he reveals on X (formerly Twitter).
Should we see this as a major clue to the identity of the winner? For some in any case, his arrival is the sign that Lamine Yamal will be the lucky one for this Ballon d’Or. Legend of FC Barcelona, ​​who now plays at Inter Miami, Lionel Messi would thus pass the torch to the one that observers and supporters describe as his heir in the Blaugrana jersey. The image would be beautiful.
