Ballon d'Or judge explains why Messi ranked three places above Yamal on his ballot

Australian journalist Daniel Garb, one of the judges for this year’s Ballon d’Or, has explained why he ranked Lionel Messi third on his ballot — three places above Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal — pointing to Messi’s “abnormal” World Cup performance as the decisive factor.

Garb, who has served as Australia’s representative for the award since 2018, voted Harry Kane first and Kylian Mbappé second, with Kane’s all-round contribution at Bayern Munich across the calendar season proving the difference. “Goals aren’t the only thing we base it on, and they’re not the only thing Kane does,” Garb told Football360. “He drops deep, he helps build the play and he creates for others. He’s much more than a finisher, and he did it for England as well as Bayern over the course of the calendar season.”

The World Cup, Garb said, made this year’s vote “the most difficult it has ever been.” Mbappé’s ten goals in eight games — earning him the Golden Boot — ultimately kept him ahead of Kane in Garb’s mind on the tournament alone, but a 15-goal gap in overall output was not enough to overtake Kane’s broader season. “If Kane had scored five to ten fewer, Mbappé probably wins it,” Garb added.

Messi’s placement at third was driven by his World Cup numbers: eight goals, a runner-up finish to Rodri for the Golden Ball, and the role he played in carrying Argentina to a final they lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time. “His World Cup was abnormal again,” said Garb. “And yes, it’s MLS, but he still did it domestically.”

Yamal, who won the World Cup at 19 and claimed a third consecutive Kopa Trophy, finished third in the overall standings but only sixth on Garb’s personal list. “Yamal didn’t do anything wrong. I just felt the players above him had either greater output or greater World Cups, and as brilliant as he is, that elevated them,” he explained.

Rodri was placed fourth by Garb despite winning the Golden Ball at the World Cup, with the judge noting he “didn’t play enough club football to be my winner.” Bayern teammate Michael Olise came fifth on the strength of his assists record.