There was an air of sadness around Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or acceptance speech on Monday. Clasping the trophy for the eighth time in his storied career, the Argentine spoke about his achievements of past 12 months, including his World Cup glory, before ending his time on stage with a tribute to Diego Maradona on what would have been his 63rd birthday.
Messi also admitted that the day of his retirement is moving closer. There was talk about just how long his body could survive, and if this Golden Ball, No.8, was his last. Messi all-but conceded that fact, turning to the other finalists that sat before him in the front row — Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe — and insisted that they were his presumptive successors to the trophy.
But Messi left someone out. For all of their quality, goals, trophies, and personal brands, Mbappe and Haaland can no longer lay claim to being the unquestioned duopoly at the very top of the game that Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were before them.
Now, a third contender has entered the fray: Jude Bellingham. Right now, the Real Madrid midfielder is more likely to claim next year’s Ballon d'Or than anyone else — and signs are that would be the first of many.
