Today, the soccer world will find out who takes home the sport’s ultimate individual honor as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner is revealed in London. Beyond the fierce debate over who will lift the golden trophy, the burning question on everyone’s mind is whether eight-time winner Lionel Messi will attend the ceremony.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Messi is unlikely to be present at the London Palladium. While initial rumors suggested he might attend to present one of the evening’s major honors, his presence has not been officially confirmed, and the grueling transatlantic flight from Miami to London makes an in-person appearance today improbable.
“Lionel Messi will not be presenting a trophy to any of the winners at the Ballon d’Or, as he has not been invited to do so,” the soccer insider wrote on X about Messi’s possible attendance.
Is Lionel Messi nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
Yes, Lionel Messi features on the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or—a stark contrast to longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who was omitted from the nominations after voters concluded his calendar year was not strong enough to warrant a spot among the finalists.
Lionel Messi of Inter Miami.
The shortlist features the game’s brightest modern stars. While Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid and Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona stand as the definitive frontrunners following their decisive domestic and international campaigns, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and other continental standouts have also garnered strong support among the voting panel.
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Inter Miami congratulate Lionel Messi after receiving Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
- Lionel Messi – Argentina | Inter Miami
- Kylian Mbappé – France | Real Madrid
- Lamine Yamal – Spain | FC Barcelona
- Harry Kane – England | Bayern Munich
- Jude Bellingham – England | Real Madrid
- Rodri – Spain | FC Barcelona
- Erling Haaland – Norway | Manchester City
- Vinícius Júnior – Brazil | Real Madrid
- Lautaro Martínez – Argentina | Inter Milan
- Michael Olise – France | Bayern Munich
- Vitinha – Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain
- William Saliba – France | Arsenal
- Declan Rice – England | Arsenal
- Ousmane Dembélé – France | Paris Saint-Germain
- Pau Cubarsí – Spain | FC Barcelona
- Bruno Fernandes – Portugal | Manchester United
- Luis Díaz – Colombia | Liverpool
- Achraf Hakimi – Morocco | Paris Saint-Germain
- Gabriel Magalhães – Brazil | Arsenal
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Georgia | Paris Saint-Germain
- Fabián Ruiz – Spain | Paris Saint-Germain
- Marc Cucurella – Spain | Real Madrid
- Marquinhos – Brazil | Paris Saint-Germain
- João Neves – Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain
- Dayot Upamecano – France | Bayern Munich
- Ferran Torres – Spain | Paris Saint-Germain
- Nuno Mendes – Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain
- Willian Pacho – Ecuador | Paris Saint-Germain
- Sadio Mané – Senegal | Al-Nassr
- Julián Quiñones – Mexico | Al-Qadsiah
What would happen if Lionel Messi wins the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
If Messi were to claim the 2026 Ballon d’Or in absentia, protocol dictates that the trophy would likely be accepted on his behalf by an event host or club representative, followed by a pre-recorded video acceptance speech thanking the global panel of journalists for their votes.
Lifting the award would mark an unprecedented ninth Ballon d’Or in Messi’s legendary career, adding to his historic triumphs in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and most recently in 2023 following Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup victory in Qatar.
