Ballon d’Or 2026: Aitana Bonmati names three players that deserves to award

Barcelona’s Women midfielder, Aitana Bonmati, has named three players that deserves to win the men’s Ballon d’Or this year.

Bonmati, who won the 2023 female Ballon d’Or, named Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Spain duo Rodri and Pau Cubarsi to win the prestigious individual Golden Ball trophy.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, the 28-year-old said of the Ballon d’Or, “I would give it to Rodri, for example, to Messi, why not, partly because of what he has shown at 39 years old in the World Cup.

“If I have to choose someone, Rodri or Cubarsi, because Canavaro also won a World Cup playing as a centre-back and Cubarsi has ​​had a great World Cup to deserve it,” she said.

The winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or will be announced in October, and Messi, Rodri, Cubarsi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal and Michael Olise are all expected to contend for the award.