‘The World Cup he had…’ – Diego Simeone has ‘no doubts’ about who should win the Ballon d’Or

Atlético Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has early this week provided his take on the debate surrounding the upcoming Ballon d’Or award.

The subject of the 2026 ‘Golden Ball’ has of course dominated the headlines across world football over the course of the last week. This comes after the 30-man shortlist for the prize was unveiled by France Football.

The race to be named football’s standout performer for the last 12 months is as things stand considered wide open, with as many as five players in the running for the accolade.

The current frontrunners in the eyes of most are Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane.

Drawn on the topic during his own exchange with the media on Tuesday, though, the aforementioned Diego Simeone pushed the case of another high-profile attacker.

Specifically, after watching his fellow countryman’s exploits up close at this summer’s World Cup, Atléticos headmaster threw his backing behind Lionel Messi:

“The 2026 Ballon d’Or has to be Leo Messi. Zero doubts. With the World Cup he had at that age… no doubts.”

Conor Laird – GSFN