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Barcelona star Lionel Messi will not be present at The Best FIFA Football Awards on Monday, the Catalan club have confirmed. Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez -- Barca's other players who were due to travel to the ceremony in Zurich -- will also remain in Spain with Messi to prepare for Wednesday's Copa del Rey game against Athletic Bilbao. Messi is in the running to be crowned The Best FIFA Men's Player, but is expected to lose out to Cristiano Ronaldo, as he did in the Ballon d'Or last month. Iniesta, Pique and Suarez are all tipped for recognition at the event, too. Instead Barca's travelling party will be led by president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who will be joined by a number of the club's various directors. A Barca statement read: "With the aim of prioritising preparations for Wednesday's game against Athletic Bilbao, FC Barcelona have decided that the players recognised in the Gala The Best FIFA Awards, which takes place on Monday in Zurich, will not be travelling to Switzerland for the ceremony. "The club's delegation is led by president Josep Maria Bartomeu, sporting vice president Jordi Mestre, director Silvio Elias, CEO Oscar Grau, Albert Soler [director of professional sports], Robert Fernandez [first team technical secretary] and Raul Sanllehi [director of football]. "FC Barcelona thank FIFA, its president Gianni Infantino and the executive structure for the organisation's help in being able to take part in today's gala. The club expresses their recognition and support for the Best FIFA Awards." Former Real Madrid player-turned club ambassador Roberto Carlos said that it was both "strange and sad that no Barcelona player attend such an important gala. "There is something strange about their absence, but we are here to promote football." Following last week's 2-1 loss to Athletic at San Mames, Barca must win when the two sides meet in the second leg of their Copa del Rey tie this week with a place in the quarterfinal up for grabs. Failure to progress in the cup would increase the feeling of crisis around the Blaugrana, with Sunday's 1-1 draw with Villarreal leaving them five points behind Real Madrid in La Liga having played a game more. They are yet to win in 2017 and have won just five of their last 11 games in all competitions.
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