Barcelona confirm Lionel Messi will not be attending The Best FIFA Awards

ByThe Editorial Team

Published 09/01/2017 at 12:48 GMT

Lionel Messi is up for the top award at FIFA's The Best Awards alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Antonie Griezmann but will not attend the ceremony.

Barcelona confirmed that Messi will remain in Spain as Luis Enrique’s side prepare for their Copa del Rey second-leg against Athletic Bilbao.

Neymar and Luis Suarez will also not be in attendance, or any other Barca player who might make the team of the year.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to claim the award, having already beaten the Argentinean to the Ballon d’Or in December.

Lionel Messi (L) celebrates his stunning goal with Neymar

Image credit: AFP

Messi was Barcelona’s saviour once again at the weekend after scoring a stunning free-kick in injury-time to rescue a point away at Villarreal.

Messi and his team-mates are yet to win since returning from their winter break and will want to avoid an early exit in the Copa del Rey.

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