Lionel Messi has dominated a complete phase of soccer, winning 8 Ballon d’Or’s in the process, a record only he can boast. But, as he reaches the end of his career, pundits and critics are almost sure that the 8th one is his last. Ending his days with David Beckham’s Inter Miami will make it more difficult for the Argentinean to clinch the grand prize.

A former USMNT international also had something similar to say about Messi and MLS. The former LA Galaxy player made a few statements that addressed the fans disregarding Messi’s title win and the impact of MLS on his Ballon d’Or win.

Lionel Messi needs to win the 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi is 36 years old and will turn 39 when the next World Cup kicks off. Speaking on the same line of thought, former MLS icon Herculez Gomez shares in an ESPN podcast how Messi can win another World Cup. Certainly, he offers food for thought. 

The former LA Galaxy player said, “He has to win the World Cup again because the World Cup is the reason he wins this Ballon d’Or, the World Cup trumps the treble for Manchester City, the World Cup trumps anything else you could throw out there, any of the records that Erling Haaland had in the minds of most people.”

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Gomez further added to his statement, “It’s an event that happens every four years, it carries more weight now will he be around the next World Cup to play I don’t know but if he wins it in the next World Cup he’d have to really put on a show for it to be even considered because you’re not in the top five league anymore and you’re not competing for any major silverware from now until then so I think it’s the last one that Lionel Messi would win.”

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Sebastian Salazar, who also voiced his opinion in the same podcast, gave a few critical points that back up Herculez Gomez’s claims. As per Salazar, by joining MLS, Messi risked his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or even for this year. He also makes a bold claim about MLS’s contribution to Messi’s Ballon d’Or win.

MLS had no role to play in Messi’s Ballon d’Or victory

Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or victory saw intense competition, with his World Cup triumph going head-to-head with Erling Haaland‘s prolific scoring. Many questioned if the Argentine’s move to Miami affected his chances, but ESPN pundit Sebastian Salazar dismissed the doubts. He argues that Messi’s stint in the MLS was not the decisive factor in his attainment of the accolade.

Salazar contends that the Argentine’s Ballon d’Or win wasn’t about his MLS performance. Instead, it was the fierce competition and his pivotal role in the World Cup win that sealed the deal. He points out that Erling Haaland’s consistent club performances made it a tight race.

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While Messi’s MLS stint raised questions, Salazar emphasizes that it was the World Cup triumph and Ligue 1 stats that actually mattered. The Ballon d’Or victory recognized Messi’s remarkable contributions on the world stage, not just for his time in Major League Soccer.