Sports Illustrated published a factbox on 22 October stating that Lionel Messi returned to the final Ballon d'Or shortlist in 2026 for his 17th appearance. That gives him the second-most Ballon d'Or nominations of all time, with only Cristiano Ronaldo having more.
Shortlist record grows again
Messi was first nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 2006. His return in 2026 took him to 17 appearances on the final shortlist.
Ronaldo still has more Ballon d'Or nominations than Messi. The factbox also stated that Ronaldo missed the shortlist in both 2024 and 2025.
Eight wins remain the mark
Messi holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or wins with eight. His first Ballon d'Or win came in 2009, and he won the next three awards as well.
Between 2014 and 2018, Messi won just one Ballon d'Or. His most recent win came in 2023, when he claimed his eighth award.
Return to the conversation
SI says Messi scored 43 goals and led Inter Miami to the 2025 MLS Cup before returning to the conversation in 2026.