Lionel Messi reportedly to skip Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony at London Palladium

Lionel Messi will not attend the Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony at the London Palladium, media reports said on October 26, 2026, with journalist Fabrizio Romano posting the news on social media; Messi remains among the 30 nominees for the award.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is described as one of world football’s biggest events, and Messi is identified in the report as the most decorated winner in the history of the award. His Ballon d’Or victories came in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023, with the 2023 trophy won after he led Argentina to World Cup success in Qatar.

The report cites a social media post from Fabrizio Romano that reads: "🚨🚨 𝗠𝗔𝗝𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Lionel Messi will NOT attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony! ❌ pic.twitter.com/xWHTLVmGus".

The article states that "as things stand, it looks like the No. 10 could be observing from afar this time," reflecting the current expectation that Messi will not be present at the London ceremony.

The 39-year-old recently travelled to Oviedo, Spain, to collect the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports and then flew back to the United States to go back to work with Inter Miami, according to the same reports.

Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards and, per the published reports, will likely not attend the 2026 ceremony while remaining a nominee for the prize.