After Lionel Messi said that Lautaro Martinez was his favorite to win the Ballon d’Or, Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi joined him in his praise of the striker. His words came after the reigning Serie A champions defeated Roma 1-0 thanks to a goal by ‘el Toro.’
“He has to continue like this, with Inter and with the national team. I think he is in the top 5 in the world, I’m happy for him,” said Inzaghi to DANZ, according to OneFootball. “Tonight I would give it to all the lads, we faced a long and quality team. Winning in Rome is a very important thing,” he added.
Another Inter’s star who agreed with Messi was Yann Sommer, who told La Gazzetta dello Sport about the Argentine’s captain words: “I entirely agree with Messi. I’ve known Lautaro for one and a half years and immediately noticed his immense personality and his captain’s spirit.”
“He is a deadly finisher. It would be such a deserved award,” he added. Martinez finished last season as the Serie A topscorer, leading Inter to their 20th Scudetto. He also was named MVP of the tournament, as well as being the Copa America’s goalscorer for champions Argentina, also netting in the final.
Another star that also backed up Lautaro’s potential Ballon d’Or win was Edin Dzeko, who played with him at Inter between 2021 and 2023. “Yes. He was decisive for the Scudetto, decisive for the Copa America, it is right that he is among the candidates,” he also told La Gazetta.
Martinez among favorites to win the Ballon d’Or 2024
While ‘El Toro’ had a strong season, this year the battle for the award is as open as ever. Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. is one of the strong contenders, after winning LaLiga and the Champions League, scoring a goal in the final of Europe’s biggest tournament.
Another star that is among the favorites is Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri, who is currently out of the season after undergoing ACL surgery. However, last year, he was key for both City’s Premier League title win and Spain’s Euro 2024 title.
When is the 2024 Ballon d’Or gala?
The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Oct. 28th at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France. Other prizes that will be awarded include the Women’s Ballon d’Or, and Coach of the Year for both women’s and men’s soccer.