With Lionel Messi currently leading the 2026 Ballon d’Or conversation, organisers of the award have clarified if players from non-European clubs can win.
With the debate over this year’s Ballon d’Or intensifying, organisers have clarified that Lionel Messi and other players who play for clubs outside Europe remain eligible to win football’s most prestigious individual award.
Questions have resurfaced over whether players competing outside Europe can still claim the Ballon d’Or, particularly as Messi continues to shine for club and country.
According to France Football, which organises the award, there is no rule requiring a player to represent a European club to be eligible for the Ballon d’Or.
The award, first introduced in 1956, initially recognised only the best European player competing in a European league. In 1995, eligibility was expanded to include players of all nationalities, although they still had to play for a European club.
That restriction was removed in 2007, making the Ballon d’Or a truly global award presented to the world’s best player regardless of the league in which they compete.
The rule change means Messi, who joined Inter Miami in 2023, remains fully eligible to win future editions of the award while playing in MLS.
The Argentine has already made history by becoming the first men’s Ballon d’Or winner representing a club outside Europe. He lifted his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023 while officially an Inter Miami player.
However, organisers noted that the achievement came with an important context. Since the Ballon d’Or has been judged over a single season rather than a calendar year since 2022, much of Messi’s club performances considered by voters came during his final season at Paris Saint-Germain before his move to the United States.
Although the regulations allow players from any league to win the award, history shows that Europe-based footballers continue to dominate the honour. Most recent winners; including Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Karim Benzema, Rodri and Ousmane Dembélé, were all playing for European clubs when they received the trophy.
Nevertheless, organisers insist there are no geographical restrictions on eligibility, meaning any player, regardless of the league they play in, can win the Ballon d’Or if their performances over the judging period convince voters.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching its conclusion and the Ballon d’Or conversation gathering pace, Messi remains among the players who could once again challenge for the coveted award while representing Inter Miami.