Washington, Jan 5 (Reporter) Lionel Messi was absent from the ceremony which saw various people awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom, with questions raised as to his whereabouts. The event, which featured prominent figures such as Hillary Clinton, Bill Nye (the Science Guy) and Jane Goodall, went through the invited names alphabetically, skipping over the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner when the time came for his name to be read out. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the United States’ highest civilian honour and Messi’s inclusion on the list was a huge shock to the football world, according to a AS USA report. After playing for Barcelona and PSG in Europe, Messi made the move to MLS where he has given the league a new lease of life, putting the game of football on the lips of people all across the country and the name of MLS throughout the world. Ahead of the event, it was widely expected that Messi would make the trip, and the reason behind his absence is as yet unclear. He did not send anyone on his behalf and at the time of writing no official explanation has been given...////...