Despite finishing fifth in the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or rankings, Lionel Messi secured first-place votes from journalists in six countries, including Brazil, one of Argentina’s traditional rivals.
The voting details published on France Football’s website on Friday revealed that journalists from Argentina, Brazil, Belarus, China, Panama and the United Arab Emirates selected the Inter Miami forward as the world’s best player.
Each first-place vote earned Messi 15 points, helping him accumulate a total of 612 points.
The 39-year-old finished fifth in the overall standings, behind winner Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Rodri.
Brazil’s decision to rank Messi first was among the notable voting choices, given the country’s long-standing football rivalry with Argentina.
Kane claimed the award with 1,055 points, finishing just 28 points ahead of Mbappé, who secured second place with 1,027 points. Yamal came third with 881 points, while Rodri finished fourth with 726 points.
Messi received six first-place votes, surpassing the tally of 2025 winner Ousmane Dembélé, who failed to secure a top spot on any of the 100 ballots.
Dembélé finished seventh overall with 418 points. He was ranked second by journalists from Burkina Faso, China, France, Georgia, Haiti, North Macedonia and Nigeria.
The 2026 award recorded the fourth-narrowest voting margin in the history of the men’s Ballon d’Or, with Kane beating Mbappé by just 28 points.