Messi defies passage of time, makes Ballon d’Or history again

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(FILES) Inter Miami’s Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi looks on during the Major League Soccer (MLS) non-conference regular season soccer match between Inter Miami CF and Seattle Sounders FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on September 16, 2025. Inter Miami and Lionel Messi have agreed to extend the Argentine star’s contract with the Major League Soccer (MLS) club, according to a source close to the matter who spoke to AFP on September 17. (Photo by Chris Arjoon / AFP)

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Lionel Messi is used to appearing in the history books, but this time the fact could be related to something that no trophy can show on its own: the duration of his longevity. Exactly 20 years passed between his first nomination, in 2006, and the current one.

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The most striking detail is not only his name on the list, but the time that has passed since that first appearance in 2006; with the nomination being completely official and concrete, exactly one generation has passed between the two moments

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The record Lionel Messi reached and seems unbeatable

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That first nomination came when Messi was still building his name in international football. At just 19 years old, he had already begun to draw attention for his talent and his leading role at Barcelona.

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From that moment to the present, history changed forever. The captain of the Argentine national team ended up becoming one of the award’s biggest winners, claiming eight Ballon d’Or awards and establishing a hegemony that defined an era.

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With his 2026 nomination, Messi established a gap of exactly 20 years from his first appearance among the candidates, in 2006.

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The Rosario native already holds the sole distinction of having won the trophy in three different decades (the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s) while representing three different clubs (FC Barcelona, PSG, and Inter Miami). The nomination comes after a year in which Messi played a leading role with Inter Miami and with the Argentina national team, with whom he reached the final of the 2026 World Cup.

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And finally, if he takes home the award next October 26 in London, he will extend his historic lead to 9 Ballon d’Ors. If he wins, Messi will reach nine Ballon d’Ors and widen the gap over Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five, to four.

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If he wins the award on October 26, Messi will become, at 39 years old, one of the oldest winners in the world.

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