Her Barcelona and Spain team-mate Alexia Putellas addressed the rumours at a different event on Wednesday.

Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior won the FIFA Best men's player of the year award at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women's prize for the second time.

"Honestly I don't see it as extraordinary, even if some people do... when I was little I also looked on from the outside, watching from my house seeing Messi lift Ballons d'Or and thinking it was incredible. Once you are on the inside, you take it normally, naturally, although if I stop to think about it, it's something really big."

The 26-year-old playmaker joins team-mate Alexia Putellas as the only women to win the Ballon d'Or twice, since the award's inauguration in 2018.

Olmo will miss Barcelona's opening Champions League matches against Monaco and Young Boys.

Tennis great Djokovic, a record 24-time Grand Slam champion, equalled his former rival Roger Federer's tally at the prestigeous ceremony in Madrid.

The two sides met at the same stage last season.

The Spain and Barcelona playmaker had a momentous year, lifting the Spanish league title, the Champions League and then inspiring her country to Women's World Cup glory in Australia and New Zealand.

Bonmati succeeds her international teammate Alexia Putellas as winner of the prize after inspiring Spain to glory at the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.

The prestigious award has been dominated over the last 15 years by Messi and his old adversary Cristiano Ronaldo, who have won it 12 times between them.

Messi, who recently left Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami, is in with a chance of succeeding Karim Benzema and winning the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time in his remarkable career after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last year

Norway striker Haaland scored 52 goals in 53 games to help City win the treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, while Bonmati inspired Spain to World Cup glory earlier this month.

The trio were chosen in a vote by coaches of clubs who played in last season's Champions League group stages, coaches of the 55 UEFA-affiliated countries and a panel of European journalists

Aitana Bonmati played a starring role with a brace and two assists as Spain crushed Switzerland 5-1 at Eden Park on Saturday to march into the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history.