The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Oct. 28th, and there is a lot of speculation surrounding the winner, with reports suggesting that Vinicus Jr. could be the new recipient of the award. However, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has made a strong case for Lautaro Martinez, who is also part of the nominees.

“As for Lautaro’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, well, what can I say, I’m his coach, and I think he’s had an outstanding year. He scored in the final. He was the top scorer in the [Copa América], and he deserves it more than anyone,” said Scaloni in a press conference ahead of Argentina‘s clash with Bolivia on Oct. 15th.

“Hopefully, he gets it. He’s a guy I really appreciate. And hopefully, this opportunity comes for him, if not now, then in the future because he still has a huge career ahead of him,” he added.

Martínez and goalkeeper Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez are the only nominees from the Argentina national team. They both were key to their 2024 Copa America’s triumph, and both won individual trophies in the tournament.

Lautaro Martinez of Argentina holds the golden boot as top scorer of the tournament after the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 Final match between Argentina and Colombia (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Lautaro was the top scorer with five goals, including one in the final against Colombia. But he also shined bright with Inter Milan, not only winning the Scudetto but also finishing as the league’s top scorer with 24 goals. He was also named as the Serie A MVP for the season.

Guardiola also said Lautaro could win Ballon d’Or

Guardiola stated prior to Manchester City’s Champions League match against Inter Milan that “Of course Lautaro (Martínez) can win the Ballon d’Or. I would prefer it to be won by a Manchester City player, but he is a sensational footballer.”
Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League (Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Manchester City has five players nominated for the award: Rodri, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden,and Ruben Dias. Among those names, Rodri is one of the favorites, as he also won the 2024 Euros with Spain.

Lionel Scaloni is competing for Men’s Coach of the Year

Scaloni, on the other hand, is one of the nominees for the Men’s Coach of the Year award. He is competing against Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen), Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta) and Pep Guardiola (Manchester City).