He might not be up for the main prize, but the Argentine will reportedly attend Monday's gala nonetheless.

Many believe injustice was done on Lionel Messi after he failed to be nominated for The Best Men's Player award, but the Argentine has opted for good sportsmanship instead of retaliation for the upcoming gala. This is according to a report by Marca which claims the Barcelona icon has accepted FIFA's invitation to the ceremony in London.

When the three-man shortlist for this year's prize was announced, an outcry broke loose. Despite winning the European Golden Shoe and Spain's league and cup double last season, there was no room for him on this list. Instead, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, and Mohamed Salah were given nods.

The Argentine is in the race for the FIFA Puskas and FIFPro XI, with the Blaugrana superstar likely to emerge triumphant in the latter category. As a result, Leo is on the invitation list for Monday's upcoming affair.

However, with Cristiano Ronaldo skipping the UEFA Awards after being informed of his loss to Modric, many wondered if Messi would follow suit in protest against his snub. Marca states that the Camp Nou ace will continue his tradition of attending whether he is up for the main prize or not.

As for Messi's displays this season, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has begun the race to win next year's award on a great note. He currently tops the goalscoring chart in La Liga, alongside Benzema. in Europe, he began the new Champions League season with an impressive hat-trick in Matchday 1 to earn an early lead in the top scorers' chart.