Lionel Messi will be absent from the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, despite featuring on the shortlist of nominees for football’s most prestigious individual award.
The British capital, London, is set to host the gala on Monday evening in a milestone edition celebrating the 70th anniversary of the award, amidst high anticipation to reveal who will succeed Ousmane Dembélé as the winner.
The Inter Miami captain’s absence coincides with securing the 17th nomination of his illustrious career, returning to the 30-man shortlist after missing out on nominations for the 2024 and 2025 editions.
The 39-year-old Argentine icon’s nomination was anchored by his instrumental role in guiding Inter Miami to the 2025 MLS Cup title, alongside captaining his national team to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Messi holds the all-time record for the most Ballon d’Or victories with eight trophies—won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023—putting him three awards clear of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Previous speculation had linked his attendance to potentially presenting one of the awards, before Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano dismissed claims that he had received an invitation for such a role.
In a prior clarification, Romano stated: “Messi will not present any award to the Ballon d’Or winners because he did not receive an invitation to do so,” while his general attendance remained unconfirmed at the time.
The record eight-time winner will thus miss an evening where Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappé lead the bookmakers’ predictions, although his name remains on the ballot for an award decided purely by votes rather than attendance at the gala.
