The debate over the winner of the 2026 Ballon d'Or has reignited following the closure of the transfer window, as the topic continues to dominate media attention.
José Mourinho shared his opinion on the Ballon d'Or winner during a press conference ahead of the Real Madrid vs. Real Betis match, stating that he believes Kylian Mbappé is a strong contender for the award.
In contrast to Mourinho's view, Luis Enrique, manager of Paris Saint-Germain, believes the award should go to one of his own players.
However, Argentine journalist Matías Palacios contradicted these opinions during an appearance on "El Chiringuito," arguing that Lionel Messi, star of Inter Miami, is the most deserving candidate for the award.
Palacios stated: "I think it's wonderful that they will give it to the person who truly deserves it. Nothing has been decided yet, and I don't have inside information, but I genuinely believe they will award it to Lionel Messi, and he absolutely deserves it."
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Palacios explained his reasoning for supporting Messi's Ballon d'Or win after sparking controversy over whether his opinion was based on insider knowledge or mere speculation: "To deliver such a performance at the World Cup at the age of 39, scoring 8 goals, providing 4 assists, and leading Argentina to the final in this manner."
Palacios criticized journalist Edo Aguirre's view that Messi would finish second, saying: "You know that Rodri only performed well for about 30 minutes throughout the entire World Cup."
Meanwhile, journalist Fernando Sanz added another comment regarding Lionel Messi: "Yes, he indeed performed well at the World Cup, but I believe there are other players, Rodri for example, whose performance was exceptional, and I think he deserves it having won the World Cup."
Palacios disagreed with this viewpoint, concluding: "Fernando, let's talk about Rodri's World Cup performance. Rodri's real impact only began in the semifinals. Was he the best player on the Spanish team during the World Cup? Was he better than Cucurella? Or better than Poru?" Sanz confidently replied: "Yes."
Meanwhile, show host Josep Pedrerol presented a different perspective while still nominating Rodri for the Ballon d'Or: "From my point of view, Cucurella and Oyarzabal performed better."
