History made! Lionel Messi, 39, breaks Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or record and sets new mark with stunning 2026 nomination

Lionel Messi has created another piece of Ballon d’Or history at the age of 39, breaking the record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo and becoming the first player ever to go 20 years between his first and last nominations for the prestigious award.Messi’s shortlisting for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, announced by France Football on Tuesday, means his history with the award now stretches from 2006 to 2026. No player before him has managed to remain nominated for the Ballon d’Or for so long.

Messi’s journey to the Ballon d’Or now spans two decades

Messi first appeared among the Ballon d’Or nominees in 2006, when he was still a teenage player for Barcelona. He received two votes that year, beginning one of the longest individual runs in the award’s history.Twenty years later, it’s still there.His 2026 nomination took his career total to 17 Ballon d’Or nominations, according to the Spanish newspaper ASmaking him second only to Ronaldo in total appearances on the shortlist.But Messi now has something his great rival has never achieved: the longest interval between a player’s first and last Ballon d’Or nomination.Ronaldo previously held the record after appearing on the shortlist between 2004 and 2022, a span of 18 years.Messi’s new mark extends that to 20 years.Messi is now on the all-time list for the longest gap between first and last Ballon d’Or nominations, followed by Ronaldo (18), Luka Modrić (16), Karim Benzema (15) and Paolo Maldini (14).It’s a different kind of record than just accumulating nominations. Ronaldo still leads Messi in total appearances, with 18 nominations to Messi’s 17, but Messi has now surpassed him in longevity.And that distinction makes the latest nomination particularly noteworthy.Messi is no longer at a stage in his career where a Ballon d’Or nomination would be considered routine. At 39, he is now the oldest player to be nominated in the 21st century, surpassing Ronaldo’s previous mark of 37 when he was nominated in 2022.The all-time record remains with Stanley Matthews, who was 41 when he won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.Also Read: Despite 4-year layoff, Ronaldo still holds one major Ballon d’Or record that Messi may never match

From teenage contender to eight-time winner

Messi’s first nomination was just the beginning of an extraordinary relationship with the award.Since then, he has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times, more than any other player in history.His wins came in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.Ronaldo remains second with five wins, meaning the pair have dominated the award to an extent unmatched by any other player. They are the only two players to win the Ballon d’Or more than once this century.Messi’s nomination for 2026 therefore creates an unusual rift between the two rivals.Ronaldo still has more nominations — 18 to 17 — while Messi now holds the record for the longest period between a player’s first and last nomination.And Messi was able to create this record despite spending the latter stages of his career outside the traditional European football powerhouses.He is the only active MLS player included in the 2026 men’s shortlist, standing alone among representatives from Major League Soccer, while the rest of the 30-man roster is made up largely of stars from Europe’s top competitions and the Saudi Pro League.His nomination comes after another big international campaign with Argentina.Messi helped Argentina to the 2026 World Cup finals, scoring eight goals and providing four assists during the tournament. He also briefly became the all-time top scorer at the World Cup with 21 goals, before being overtaken by Kylian Mbappé. The campaign added another remarkable chapter to an international career that already included the World Cup and Copa AméricaAlso Read: Despite 4-year layoff, Ronaldo still holds one major Ballon d’Or record that Messi may never matchAlso Read: Why Cristiano Ronaldo Was Not Nominated For 2026 Ballon d’OrHe also announced his international retirement last month, making his continued presence on the Ballon d’Or shortlist even more prominent.At club level, Messi also enjoyed a successful domestic campaign with Inter Miami, completing a domestic double before returning to the Ballon d’Or shortlist.That doesn’t necessarily make him the favorite to win this year. Rodri currently leads the contenders, with the likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal also among the top contenders following their seasons and World Cup events.But the significance of Messi’s nomination goes beyond whether he wins another trophy.The teenager, who first appeared on the Ballon d’Or list in 2006, has now been nominated again in 2026, two whole decades later.Ronaldo’s 18-year span once represented a measure of longevity at the very top of the prize.Messi has now surpassed that.