The Ballon d’Or award continues to spark debate. Many players, including Lautaro Martinez, are unhappy with the 2023 nominations and rankings. A 2006 World Cup winner has now joined Lionel Messi in supporting the Argentine.
By Natalia Lobo
By Natalia Lobo
It’s been a week since the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony. However, there’s still opinions about the winners and the order of nominees. While much of the conversation was about Vinicius Junior’s snub, Lautaro Martinez also complained about his position in the list. And, now, 2006 World Cup winner Marco Materazzi has shown some support to the Inter Milan star, echoing Lionel Messi’s words regarding his Argentina teammate.
“He is undoubtedly top five. You can’t complain about Rodri, who won the Champions League and the Euros, or Dani Caravajal. But Lautaro has also won trophies with Inter and Argentina. He’s right when he says he expects more. I think the Ballon d’Or doesn’t count much,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“The real value is determined by the clubs with which you win trophies. Lautaro has won the World Cup and two Copa America, the last one as a top scorer. This is what counts,” he added. “Lautaro must heed Messi’s words, because his judgment is more important than the one of the Ballon d’Or jury.”
Martinez, who placed seventh in the 2024 Ballon d’Or ranking, scored 35 goals and gave eight assists in all competitions. He also won the Serie A, being the top goalscorer, as well as the Italy Cup. Aditionally, he led Argentina to the Copa America title, scoring in the final and being the competition’s top goalscorer.
Lautaro Martinez of Argentina celebrates (Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
Ahead of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Lionel Messi showed his support to his teammate, saying that he deserved to win it. “He’s had a spectacular year. He scored in the [Copa America] final and was the top scorer. He deserves the Ballon d’Or more than anyone else,” the Inter Miami star said on October 17.
‘El Toro’ said after the ceremony, according to Fabrizio Romano, that he was disappointed in the results. “To be honest, I was expecting more than 7th position at the Ballon d’Or. Sometimes at these awards they are unfair,” he told DANZ.
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Despite his impressive year, Martinez was placed behind Kylian Mbappe (PSG/Real Madrid) and Erling Haaland (Manchester City), as well as Real Madrid’s stars Dani Carvajal, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior, and Manchester City’s Rodri, who ultimately won the award.
Natalia is a sports journalist at Bolavip US, where she covers soccer, tennis, and the broader sports world. She also works as an entertainment journalist at Spoiler US, focusing on the film industry, series, reality TV, and celebrity news. With a diverse background that includes reporting on sports, fashion, and culture, she brings a rich and varied perspective to her current roles. Natalia holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media from the Universidad Central of Venezuela (UCV) and has over eight years of experience in digital media. She has previously contributed her bilingual skills in English and Spanish to outlets such as Revista Exclusiva and Cambio16.
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