Beckham backs Messi for Ballon d'Or after Inter Miami cup win

Inter Miami secured its first Campeones Cup title on Wednesday, defeating Cruz Azul 2-0, with Lionel Messi scoring his 100th goal for the club and co-owner David Beckham publicly endorsing him for the Ballon d'Or. The match, held at Miami's Nu Stadium, saw Messi open the scoring in the 24th minute with a header from a Luis Suárez cross. Casemiro later sealed the victory with a goal in the 81st minute, heading in a corner delivered by Messi. The win marked Inter Miami's fifth trophy since Messi joined the team in 2022, following the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters Shield in 2024, and the MLS Cup in 2025. After the game, Beckham, who co-owns Inter Miami, praised Messi's performance and argued that the 39-year-old deserves to win a record ninth Ballon d'Or. "When you see him do things like this tonight, and you see him have the World Cup that he's had, it's not luck that he's being considered for the Ballon d'Or again," Beckham said. "He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d'Or. In my opinion, he should win it.