Many of soccer’s top stars are in London for the Ballon d’Or ceremony, but Lionel Messi opted against attending the ceremony at the Palladium.
Messi is in the top 10 but isn’t among the three favorites to win the award, one he already has won a record eight times. Rather than crossing the Atlantic Ocean to be part of the pomp and circumstance, he was pictured laughing on the sideline of the Messi Cup.
It’s the second edition of the U-16 tournament named for the Inter Miami star, with youth teams connected to Messi like FC Barcelona, Newell’s Old Boys and hosts Inter Miami taking part in the tournament for the second year in a row.
River Plate, Chelsea, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan also are repeat participants, sending teams to Miami after taking part in the inaugural edition in December 2025.
As luminaries from the soccer world filed into the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Messi was on the sideline of a match between Boca Juniors and UE Cornellà, a team based in Catalonia that Messi purchased in April 2026.
¡LA SONRISA DE MESSI! La felicidad de Leo, que disfruta de una nueva edición de la Messi Cup.
📺 Mirá TODA la 🏆 #MessiCup por ESPN en el Plan Premium de #DisneyPluspic.twitter.com/DbsiUpBoEP
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) October 26, 2026
The 39-year-old has been in good spirits, giving a welcome message to the 16 clubs participating, then laughing as he realized a translator was waiting to put his lengthy comments in Spanish into English as the teenagers stood in the wind and rain of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“ME OLVIDÉ QUE TENÉS QUE TRADUCIR, LA HICE RE LARGA, ¿NO?”
El IMPERDIBLE momento de Leo Messi en la ceremonia inaugural de la #MessiCup.¡TIPAZO!
Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.📺 Mirá TODA la 🏆 #MessiCup por ESPN en el Plan Premium de #DisneyPluspic.twitter.com/8E0pWnHSMu
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) October 25, 2026
Messi was in Europe last week, accepting the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, a top prestegious award in Spain, in Oviedo. But he returned to the Americas and came into Inter Miami’s 2-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls in the 56th minute.
Miami is back in action on Oct. 28 with a home match against FC Cincinnati, with a well-rested Messi expected to start the contest at Nu Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lionel Messi opts to attend Messi Cup rather than Ballon d’Or ceremony
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