Why did Lionel Messi skip Ballon d'Or ceremony despite finishing fifth at 39

Lionel Messi may be 39, but the little magician continues to prove that age is just a number.

The eight time Ballon d'Or winner finished fifth in the 2026 rankings, ahead of several of football's biggest names, including Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

For a player approaching 40, finishing among the world's top five is an extraordinary achievement.

And remember, Messi enjoyed a sensational World Cup campaign, scoring eight goals as Argentina reached the final before losing 1-0 against Spain.

Had Argentina gone on to lift the trophy, Messi might well have found himself on the Ballon d'Or podium once again.

However, despite his impressive fifth place finish, Messi was nowhere to be seen at Monday's ceremony in London.

Instead, the Argentine was spotted watching the Messi Cup, a youth football tournament named after him, in Miami.

The Inter Miami star was seen smiling and enjoying the action from the sidelines as Boca Juniors faced Spanish club UE Cornellà in the Under 16 competition.

Messi had also watched his son Mateo play in a separate youth tournament, the Legends Cup, on Sunday. Mateo reportedly scored for Inter Miami's Under 12 side.

Messi has not publicly explained his absence, but he remained in Miami, where he has commitments with Inter Miami and was attending the youth tournament.

The Argentine had also recently travelled to Spain to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports before returning to the United States.

Messi finished just two places outside the podium, with Harry Kane winning the award ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal. Rodri finished fourth.

It was another remarkable achievement for the Argentine, who holds the record with eight Ballon d'Or victories, the latest coming in 2023.

At 39, Messi is still competing with some of the finest players in world football.

And while football's biggest stars gathered in London, Messi was enjoying kids playing the beautiful game from the sidelines in Miami. Remember, he has won it all.