Cubarsí prioritizes rest and skips Balón de Oro gala in London

Barcelona defender Cubarsí skips the Balón de Oro gala in London to prioritize rest after a demanding run of fixtures.

FC Barcelona's delegation travels to London on Monday for the Balón de Oro ceremony, but defender Pau Cubarsí will not be on the flight. The centre-back has chosen to remain in Barcelona to rest and recover following a taxing sequence of matches. Cubarsí will use the time to regain strength ahead of Barcelona's La Liga fixture against Alavés on Saturday at 21:00.

Lamine Yamal, another Barcelona nominee, also skipped the trip after travelling privately with family and friends following El Clásico on Sunday. Club president Joan Laporta will lead Barcelona's institutional representation at the ceremony, accompanied by vice-presidents Rafa Yuste and Elena Fort, and directors Xavier Barniol and Xavi Puig.