Lionel Messi answered the question that occupies millions of football fans around the world, about who is most deserving of the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
For the first time in many years, Messi is absent from the list of 30 names nominated to win the Ballon d’Or, knowing that he was the last to win the award in 2023.
The former Barcelona star is the player who has won the Ballon d’Or the most times in history, 8 times, and now he is nominating the most deserving from his point of view to win it this year.
Who is most deserving of the Ballon d’Or 2024 for Messi?
In statements after the Argentina and Bolivia match, Messi chose his compatriot and teammate Lautaro Martinez to win the Ballon d’Or, considering that he is more deserving of it than any other name.
The Inter Miami star said in his speech, “Lautaro had a great year and scored in the final match of the Copa America and was the tournament’s top scorer.”
“For me, he is the player who deserves to win the Ballon d’Or more than any other player in the world,” he added.
Messi is not the first Argentine to demand Lautaro win, as he was preceded by coach Lionel Scaloni, who repeated the same phrase that the Inter star is the most deserving of the most important individual award in the world.
What did Lautaro Martinez offer in 2024 to deserve the Ballon d’Or?
Lautaro Martinez’s name is on the announced list of candidates for the Ballon d’Or after showing distinguished levels with Inter and the Argentine national team.
On the club level, Lautaro was able to lead Inter to win the Italian League title, scoring 27 goals and making 7 others in 44 matches in all competitions last season.
Lautaro won the Inter Player of the Year award, in addition to contributing to his team winning the Italian Cup and winning the local double.
On the Argentine national team level, Lautaro was the top scorer in the 2024 Copa America held in the United States, with 5 goals.
The 27-year-old scored the winning goal against Colombia in the final in extra time after Messi was injured.
Lautaro had previously stated that he deserved to be in the Ballon d’Or race this year, even if the press often overlooks him.
Ballon d’Or 2024 Candidates
Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior is leading the list of candidates to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or, given his success in winning the Champions League and La Liga with the royal club, even if he did nothing with his country Brazil in the Copa America.
Clearly, Vinicius’s main competitor for the Ballon d’Or is Manchester City and Spain star Rodri, after his fantastic season in the Premier League and being one of the main reasons for his country’s Euro 2024 coronation.
Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe stand out in third and fourth place, and Lautaro is certainly expected to have an advanced position, although it is unlikely that he will win the award.
Date of the Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony
The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 28, 2024, in the French capital, Paris.
