David Beckham Backs Lionel Messi for Ballon d'Or After Milestone Inter Miami Goal

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has thrown his support behind Lionel Messi for a record ninth Ballon d’Or award. The endorsement arrived shortly after the Argentine icon reached a significant personal milestone, scoring his 100th goal for the Florida-based Major League Soccer franchise during a domestic and international tournament fixture.

According to Al Jazeera, the 39-year-old forward achieved the milestone on Wednesday as Inter Miami secured the Campeones Cup by defeating Mexican Liga MX side Cruz Azul 2-0. The annual clash brings together the reigning MLS Cup champions and Mexico's top competitors. The victory marked Inter Miami's first-ever title in the competition, which is always hosted by the MLS representative.

The decisive match also delivered Messi his first trophy of the year, arriving just two months after the disappointment of losing the FIFA World Cup 2026 final to Spain with Argentina. Speaking after the final whistle, Beckham praised the longevity and elite performance of his star player on the global stage.

"When you see him do things like this tonight, when you see him have the World Cup that he’s had … there is no one at 39 that’s doing that, and doing it at that level," Beckham stated as reported by Al Jazeera. "So he deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, he should win it."

Teammate Casemiro, the Brazil international who transferred to Inter Miami from Manchester United during the summer transfer window, also offered high praise for the forward. Casemiro emphasized the importance of appreciating the player's ongoing contributions to the sport, noting that Messi continues to prove his status as the best player in both international competition and the MLS.

The Campeones Cup encounter featured several pivotal moments before Miami sealed the victory. Cruz Azul generated the initial scoring threat when goalkeeper Dayne St Clair blocked a near-post attempt from Jose Paradela. Inter Miami broke the deadlock in the 24th minute through an unusual source, with the 5-foot-7 Messi connecting on a diving header from a Luis Suarez cross over defender Willer Ditta to register his 100th club goal.

Suarez and Messi nearly combined for a second goal in the 32nd minute, but German Berterame's dinked effort was cleared off the goal line. Early in the second half, Messi thought he had added his 101st goal after converting a one-on-one opportunity, but the play was chalked off for offside. Cruz Azul nearly leveled the score in the 67th minute when substitute Gabriel Fernandez hit the post with a glancing header, followed by a defensive block from Casemiro.

Inter Miami finally secured the 2-0 victory in the 81st minute. A corner kick delivered by Messi found Casemiro, who directed a low header to the far post. St Clair preserved the clean sheet late in the match by denying a free kick from Paradela.

The championship match marked the debut fixture for newly appointed Inter Miami head coach Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez. Although the Argentine manager was hired the previous month, visa processing delays restricted him from leading training sessions until the week of the match.

With this victory, Inter Miami ended a streak of three consecutive titles won by Mexican teams in the Campeones Cup, while Cruz Azul remained winless in the tournament's history following a prior defeat in the 2021 final. Meanwhile, despite previous announcements regarding his international retirement following the World Cup final, reports indicate Messi is scheduled to represent Argentina in an upcoming friendly match against Benin on October 6. Messi currently holds eight Ballon d'Or titles, maintaining a lead over closest competitor Cristiano Ronaldo.