At 39, Lionel Messi has added another remarkable chapter to his Ballon d’Or legacy, breaking two records previously held by his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
With his inclusion in the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist, Messi has become the first player to have his first and most recent nominations separated by 20 years. His journey now stretches from 2006 to 2026—an unprecedented span in the history of the prestigious individual award.
France Football released the 2026 shortlist on Tuesday, confirming Messi’s latest nomination. He first appeared among the nominees in 2006 as a teenage Barcelona player, receiving two votes that year.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Messi now has 17 Ballon d’Or nominations. He remains second to Ronaldo in terms of total nominations, but he has overtaken the Portuguese star in the length of time between his first and latest appearances on the shortlist.
Ronaldo previously held that record, having been nominated between 2004 and 2022—a span of 18 years.
Messi has now surpassed that mark with a 20-year gap.
The Argentine tops the list for the longest span between a player’s first and most recent Ballon d’Or nominations, followed by Ronaldo at 18 years, Luka Modric at 16, Karim Benzema at 15 and Paolo Maldini at 14.
The achievement is distinct from the record for the most nominations overall. Ronaldo remains ahead in that category with 18 nominations, compared with Messi’s 17. But when it comes to longevity, Messi has now moved past his greatest rival.
His latest nomination is particularly significant given his age. At 39, Messi is now the oldest player to be nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or in the 21st century. Ronaldo previously held that record after being nominated at the age of 37 in 2022.
The all-time record, however, still belongs to Stanley Matthews. He was 41 when he won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.
Messi’s relationship with the Ballon d’Or has been extraordinary since his first nomination. He has gone on to win the award a record eight times—the most in history.
He lifted the trophy in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Ronaldo is second with five wins, making them the only two players in the 21st century to win the Ballon d’Or more than once.
The 2026 nomination has created another statistical distinction between the two superstars. Ronaldo still leads Messi 18-17 in total nominations, but Messi now owns the record for the longest nomination span.
He has achieved the feat despite no longer playing in one of Europe’s top leagues. Messi is the only active Major League Soccer player on the 2026 men’s shortlist, with most of the other 30 nominees coming from Europe’s leading leagues and the Saudi Pro League.
The nomination also comes after another major international campaign with Argentina. Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists on Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final. At one stage, he became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 21 World Cup goals before being surpassed by Kylian Mbappe.
Messi announced his retirement from international football last month, making his latest Ballon d’Or nomination even more notable.
At club level, he also enjoyed a strong season with Inter Miami, earning the nomination after helping the club secure a domestic double.
Messi, however, is not considered the leading contender for this year’s award. Rodri is currently among the favorites, while Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal are also in contention following their performances during the season and at the World Cup.
Yet the significance of Messi’s latest nomination goes beyond whether he wins the trophy.
A teenager who first appeared on the Ballon d’Or shortlist in 2006 has returned to the list two decades later at the age of 39. In doing so, Messi has surpassed Ronaldo’s once-unmatched 18-year span and added yet another record to one of football’s greatest individual careers.
