Former Real Madrid and Argentina legend, Angel Di Maria, has said that the time of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is over in terms of the rivalry that existed for over a decade.
He said while rating the chances of the football greats winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or after the FIFA World Cup.
Both superstars are set for their sixth appearance in the World Cup, which will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Argentina and Portugal are among the contenders expected to win the trophy.
However, only one of these teams will progress beyond the quarter-finals, with the draw pitting them against each other in the last eight of the competition, should they win all their games till that point.
Even though Messi and Ronaldo are not favorites to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or at the moment, the individual honor could still be decided after taking into account the players’ performances in the World Cup.
Notably, the two superstars have won the award 13 times between them, with Messi (8) holding the record for the most number of wins. The last time Messi won the Ballon d’Or was back in 2023 after Argentina were crowned World Cup champions.
Di Maria, who helped Argentina win the World Cup in 2022 and played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid, believes that a similar outcome is still possible in 2026.
The Argentine refused to rule out the possibility of either of his ex-teammates winning the Ballon d’Or, should they win the World Cup or become standout performers.
The former Real Madrid winger stated that there is no longer a rivalry like Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo and still thinks either of them will have more pulling power in the race for the award if they produce a memorable World Cup display.
In an interview with the official website of Ballon d’Or, Di Maria claimed, “Well… it’s normal… At the end of the day, there isn’t a Messi or a Cristiano anymore; that’s over.
“For me, there won’t be a rivalry as great as that one. That’s why I think that if either of them wins the World Cup or plays a starring role, they’ve got a good chance…”
The Ballon d’Or gala will be held outside France for the first time ever in 2026. London will host the event on October 26.