Ballon d’Or organisers tease giving Messi award in 2025 ceremony

France Football are stirring up the football world once again, this time by teasing the return of the ultra-rare Super Ballon d’Or, an award that hasn’t been handed out since 1989.

And with the whispers growing louder, there’s one name towering above the rest for this special honour: Lionel Messi.

Only one player in football history has ever laid hands on the Super Ballon d’Or, Real Madrid icon Alfredo Di Stefano, back in 1989.

But now, France Football’s social media tease has sparked speculation that this one-of-a-kind award could make a sensational comeback at the 2025 ceremony.

The criteria remains a player who has dominated global football for the past 30 years and stacked up multiple Ballon d’Or wins.

That certainly sounds like Lionel Messi, who holds a staggering eight Ballon d'Or trophies, most earned during his legendary run with Barcelona.

While Cristiano Ronaldo’s five awards put him in the conversation, his recent dismissals of the Ballon d'Or’s relevance may have hurt his chances.

As for the standard Ballon d'Or in 2025, Messi is unlikely to be a serious contender due to his current spell in MLS with Inter Miami. A league that, despite growing in profile, lacks the competitive weight of Europe’s top tiers.

Instead, the frontrunners for the next edition are Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, both of whom are lighting up pitches for club and country.

But while Messi may be out of the current race, a legacy award like the Super Ballon d’Or could once again put him centre stage, and in truly historic fashion.