The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London saw Harry Kane named the men's winner and Alexia Putellas the women's recipient. Despite finishing fifth in the rankings, Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi was notably absent, instead attending the 'Messi Cup' in Miami, a tournament he founded. Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid placed second, with Barcelona's Lamine Yamal third. Other top 10 absentees included Khvicha Kvaratskhelia due to injury, Erling Haaland, and Fabian Ruiz, who played for Paris Saint-Germain in a Ligue 1 fixture. Messi, who won his record eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023, recently announced his retirement from Argentina international duty, concluding an illustrious career that included leading his nation to the 2022 World Cup title.