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Lionel Messi received his 17th Ballon d'Or nomination in 2026, yet the all-time record holder for the award chose not to attend this year's ceremony held in London.
The eight-time winner, who first earned a nomination back in 2006 following his debut European title with Barcelona, appeared on the 2026 shortlist for the first time in three years. His most recent appearance—and victory—came in 2023, off the back of guiding Argentina to triumph at the 2022 World Cup.
Since transitioning his club career to Major League Soccer, away from the elite landscape of Europe's top five leagues and the UEFA Champions League, Messi's nominations have largely been driven by his international performances with Argentina—as was the case when he claimed the award in 2021 after winning the Copa América, his first major senior international honor.
This year, Messi netted eight goals at the World Cup and featured in another final. The outcome might have been different had Argentina beaten Spain at MetLife Stadium, but La Albiceleste came up short, and Messi has largely been absent from the Ballon d'Or winner discussion.
Knowing he had no realistic chance of winning, and with Inter Miami scheduled to play FC Cincinnati later in the week, making the exhausting round trip to London for the Monday evening ceremony simply wasn't a worthwhile use of Messi's time or energy.
Where Was Lionel Messi Instead of the 2026 Ballon d'Or Ceremony?
¡LA SONRISA DE MESSI! La felicidad de Leo, que disfruta de una nueva edición de la Messi Cup.
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Instead of attending another Ballon d'Or ceremony, Messi chose to be present at his own namesake Messi Cup tournament. The former Barcelona star launched the youth competition last year and was in Miami to watch 16 U-16 sides battle it out.
Clubs such as Inter Miami, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City, River Plate, Inter Milan, Newell's Old Boys, and Atlético Madrid took part last year, and they have now been joined by Arsenal, Ajax, Benfica, Palmeiras, Boca Juniors, Independiente del Valle, Flamengo, and UE Cornellà in this edition.
Messi's Focus on Inter Miami
A direct flight from Miami to London takes roughly nine hours, meaning approximately 18 hours of total air travel, not counting the additional time spent getting to and from airports.
Messi featured for Inter Miami on Saturday in a loss to Red Bull New York, which would have required him to depart on Sunday ahead of the Monday night ceremony. He would then have needed to fly back to Florida on Tuesday, with Miami set to host Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Could Messi have simply sat out the Cincinnati fixture to make the trip more manageable? Possibly, but there is little incentive to do so. The 2026 MLS regular season has just three matchdays remaining, yet Miami still have meaningful objectives, as a higher final standing translates to a more favorable first-round opponent in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Nashville SC have already secured the 2026 Supporters' Shield, but Miami can still finish as high as second in the Eastern Conference. The Herons currently sit third, level on points with second-place New England Revolution. Whichever side finishes second enters the playoff bracket against the seventh-ranked team, while third place faces sixth. The margins may seem slim, but these fine details can prove decisive.
Why would Miami and Messi not exhaust every option to secure that advantage—even if it means passing on a glamorous occasion like the Ballon d'Or ceremony?