Lionel Messi to miss the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony
The Argentine star, who is among the nominees for the prestigious award, will not attend the event in London.
Lionel Messi will not be present at the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or ceremony, held this October 26 in London. Although the Argentine is officially among the nominees for the award, his absence has been confirmed as a major talking point of the event.
Messi was included in the shortlist following his participation with Argentina in the World Cup and his performances for Inter Miami. Despite having won the trophy eight times in the past, he is not considered the primary favorite for this year's edition.
The competition is currently seen as a battle between other stars of the season. The most prominent candidate is Harry Kane, the English forward for Bayern Munich, who has been consistent in his goal-scoring for both club and country throughout the 2026 World Cup. Other top contenders include Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé.
Messi's campaign this year included 8 goals and 4 assists during the recent World Cup, bringing his total career assists in such tournaments to 12. While he remains a legendary figure in football, the race for the 2026 award seems to be shifting toward other key performers of the current season.