Captain Angel Di Maria of Rosario Central has named Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Lionel Messi of Argentina as the two players who, should their teams win the 2026 World Cup, have the best chance of winning the Ballon d’Or this year.
The World Cup will be Messi and Ronaldo’s sixth tournament together. Between them, the two have won the Ballon d’Or thirteen times throughout their time as European players.
In an interview with the Ballon d’Or website, Di Maria was adamant that either forward might take home the prize if they had breakout performances in the upcoming World Cup. The competition begins next week.
You know what? No big deal… The days of having a Messi or a Cristiano are finished, according to Di Maria.
There will never be another rivalry like that one, in my opinion. For that reason, he predicted that both players would be strong contenders for the Ballon d’Or if they were to win the World Cup or take center stage.
While playing for Real Madrid and the Argentine national team, Di Maria was teammates with Ronaldo and Messi.