The Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has already scored six goals in the FIFA World Cup 2026, broken multiple records and surpassed Miroslav Klose to become the leading scorer in World Cup history.
As Argentina continue their title defence, another familiar question has emerged among fans and pundits: could Messi win a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or if he leads Argentina to another World Cup triumph?
The answer is not as straightforward as it may seem.
Historically, winning the World Cup has often strengthened a player’s Ballon d’Or credentials, but it has never been an automatic guarantee of success.
Before the Ballon d’Or became a global award in 1995, only three players managed to win both the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or in the same year: Bobby Charlton (England) in 1966, Paolo Rossi (Italy) in 1982 and Lothar Matthäus (West Germany) in 1990.
After the award opened up to players from around the world, the trend continued.
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Zinedine Zidane achieved the double in 1998 after guiding France to World Cup glory, Ronaldo Nazario followed suit in 2002 with Brazil, and Fabio Cannavaro repeated the feat in 2006 after Italy’s triumph in Germany.
However, the World Cup’s influence on the Ballon d’Or began to weaken in the years that followed.
In 2010, Spain lifted their first World Cup title and many expected either Andres Iniesta or Xavi to claim football’s most prestigious individual honour. Instead, Messi won the Ballon d’Or after another extraordinary season with Barcelona.
Four years later, Germany won the World Cup in Brazil, and Manuel Neuer emerged as a leading candidate, while Lionel Messi guided Argentina to the final. Yet Cristiano Ronaldo ultimately secured the award.
The pattern continued in 2018 when Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or after leading Croatia to the World Cup final, despite France’s Antoine Griezmann playing a key role in lifting the trophy.
It was not until Qatar 2022 that the World Cup winner and Ballon d’Or recipient aligned once again. Messi inspired Argentina to a memorable title victory and later claimed his eighth Ballon d’Or, becoming only the seventh player in history to complete the World Cup-Ballon d’Or double and the fourth to do so since 1995.
That precedent suggests another World Cup triumph would significantly strengthen Messi’s chances of adding yet another Ballon d’Or to his collection.
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At 39, the Argentine legend has already enjoyed a remarkable tournament, scoring six goals and producing decisive performances as Argentina chase back-to-back world titles.
The Ballon d’Or has increasingly evolved into an award that considers the full body of work across the season rather than one tournament alone, even one as prestigious as the World Cup.
Still, history shows that exceptional World Cup performances often become the defining factor when candidates are closely matched.
For Lionel Messi, the equation is simple. If he can replicate the magic of Qatar and lead Argentina to another world title, his chances of becoming the first player ever to win nine Ballon d’Or awards will increase dramatically.
The final verdict will come on October 26, when the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place in London.
The event will mark the 70th anniversary of the award and, for the first time in decades, will be held outside Paris, paying tribute to Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.
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