Argentinian newspaper Ole claims Lionel Messi should have won the Ballon d’Or and insisted Harry Kane’s triumph “will not remove the stain” of England’s World Cup semi-final defeat.
In one editorialthe newspaper suggested that 2026 was a year in which the eight-time winner “most deserved” the accolade for his exploits in the summer showpiece with Messi leading his country to the final where they lost to Spain.
Argentina beat England in a scrappy quarter-final encounter after two goals late in the game, Lionel Scaloni’s side won 2-1.
messiahwho did not travel to London for the ceremony – opting instead to attend the Messi Cup, an international youth tournament named after him – finished fifth in the voting, behind Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Rodri.
He had returned to the shortlist for the first time in three years, aged 39, after also starring for Inter Miami, helping them win an MLS Cup in December.
Ole commented: “Kane he did not win the World Cup but achieved personal recognition. Among the merits of the 33-year-old striker is the incredible figure of 73 goals and 81 goal involvements (in 2026) between Bayern Munich and England.
“His performance at the World Cup also allowed him to overtake Gary Lineker as England’s top scorer in the history of the tournament. With 14 goals to his name, he consolidated an outstanding career that already had a highlight at Russia 2018, in which he won the Golden Boot with six goals.
“Although the stain of being beaten by Messi and Argentina, in the 2026 semi-finals, is one that will never be removed.”
“The best will always be Leo Messi”
The article concluded: “For as many reasons as the other stars to have been chosen as the winner of this Ballon d’Or, the goalscoring record of a player with an exemplary profile was enough to give him the edge in one of the most even editions of recent times.
“But for us, the best is and always will be Leo Messi. The World Cup, once again, showed us why.”
Messi recently retired from international football, but remains a force in Major League Soccer.
He has a La Liga-leading 25 goals this season but was left on the bench for the weekend defeat to the New York Red Bulls after returning to the Atlantic from Spain where he received the prestigious Princess of Asturias Sports Award.
Messi is expected to return to the starting lineup when Miami faces Cincinnati on Wednesday night.