L’Equipe Names Lionel Messi as Top Candidate for 2026 Ballon d'Or
2 sources · Argentina
Who reported this
- Infobae
- La Nacion
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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The French newspaper L’Equipe has featured Lionel Messi as one of the primary candidates to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or on its front page. The publication titled the cover "Es su proyecto" and highlighted Messi alongside Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Harry Kane. The award ceremony is scheduled for October 26 at The London Palladium in England, marking the first time the event will be held outside of France. France Football has released the full list of 30 nominees, which includes Messi, Lautaro Martínez, and several players from Paris Saint-Germain. The winner will be determined by a jury of 100 journalists from the top ranked FIFA countries. A point of contention has emerged regarding the absence of Rodri from the cover image. While Rodri is among the 30 nominees and was the 2024 winner, he was not included in the five central figures chosen by L’Equipe. This omission sparked a debate on the Spanish program El Chiringuito, where panelists argued over whether the exclusion was an editorial error or related to Rodri's recent transfer to Barcelona.
How each side framed it
- Centre-right
- Both outlets focused on the prestige of the nomination and the controversy surrounding Rodri's absence from the cover.
Sources
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