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Ballon d’Or: Messi receives six first-place votes

By , based on Punch

Ballon d’Or: Messi receives six first-place votesBryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Lionel Messi received six first-place votes in the 2026 Ballon d’Or, from journalists in Argentina, Brazil, Belarus, China, Panama and the United Arab Emirates. The Inter Miami player finished fifth with 612 points, according to the details published by France Football.

Lionel Messi, the Argentine forward for Inter Miami, received six first-place votes in the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or, despite finishing fifth in the overall rankings, according to the tally published on Friday by France Football. Journalists from Argentina, Brazil, Belarus, China, Panama and the United Arab Emirates named him the best player in the world.

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