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Liverpool star breaks silence on why he skipped Ballon dand#8217;Or ceremony despite nomination

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Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister has revealed he didn't attend the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony on Monday due to 'personal reasons'.

The Argentine was part of a five-strong Reds contingent included in the 30-man shortlist vying to win the esteemed individual award.

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Alisson and his wife, Natália Loewe, were part of the Liverpool contingent at the Ballon d'OrCredit: Getty

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But Mac Allister revealed before the ceremony that he wouldn't be attendingCredit: Getty

However, only Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker ventured to Paris as Ousmane Dembele scooped the top prize.

Mac Allister was part of the remaining three Anfield stars not present on the night, alongside Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah.

The latter was most conspicuous by his absence, having been among the favourites for the Ballon d'Or, only to finish fourth ultimately.

Mac Allister also opted to remain on Merseyside, instead, with the former Brighton man, since revealing why.

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The 26-year-old posted a statement on Instagram in both Spanish and English to confirm his absence shortly before the ceremony.

It read: "Won't be able to attend @ballondorofficial ceremony today for personal reasons, all the best for everyone, enjoy!"

Mac Allister and his partner, Ailen Cova, are soon expecting their first child together, having revealed the news in March.

The pair have been together since 2022, after the £35million star won the World Cup in Qatar with Argentina.



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Cova shared a photo of her at Anfield holding her baby bump ahead of Liverpool's dramatic 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid last week.

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Mac Allister didn't attend the Ballon d'Or for personal reasonsCredit: Instagram

Mac Allister finished 22nd in the 2025 list, having helped Liverpool win the Premier League title with a standout role in midfield.

The midfielder scored seven goals and registered six assists in all competitions to finish ahead of Van Dijk (28) and Wirtz (29).

It placed him second overall for Liverpool representatives, with Salah just missing out on the podium by placing fourth.

The Egyptian similarly skipped the ceremony after ending up behind Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha, Barcelona talisman Lamine Yamal and eventual winner Dembele.

Salah is yet to address why he didn't attend the Ballon d'Or, with Liverpool going on to praise their main man after the awards show.

30th: Michael Olise

29th: Florian Wirtz

28th: Virgil van Dijk

27th: Declan Rice

26th: Erling Haaland

25th: Denzel Dumfries

24th: Fabian Ruiz

23rd: Jude Bellingham

22nd: Alexis Mac Allister

21st: Serhou Guirassy

20th: Lautaro Martinez

19th: Joao Neves

18th: Scott McTominay

17th: Robert Lewandowski

16th: Vinicius Jr

15th: Viktor Gyokeres

14th: Desire Doue

13th: Harry Kane

12th: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

11th: Pedri

10th: Nuno Mendes

9th: Gianluigi Donnarumma

8th: Cole Palmer

7th: Kylian Mbappe

6th: Achraf Hakimi

5th: Raphinha

4th: Mohamed Salah

3rd: Vitinha

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2nd: Lamine Yamal

1st: Ousmane Dembele