ARGENTINA and Inter Miami captain, Lionel Messi has backed his compatriot, Lautaro Martinez to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award this year.
Messi, who is a recipient of the award eight times, believes that the Inter Milan man deserves to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or, which will be announced in Paris on October 28.
Lautaro Martinez has seen success both in club and country level winning the Serie A with Inter Milan and becoming the league’s leading scorer for the first time in his career.
For Argentina, Martinez was also influential in the team winning the Copa America victory, scoring the winner in the final and becoming the tournament’s top scorer.
“He’s had a spectacular year. He scored in the [Copa America] Final and was the best scorer. He deserves the Ballon d’Or more than anyone else,” his Argentina teammate, Leo Messi told reporters last night after a 6-0 win over Bolivia, as quoted by Gazzetta.
Martinez is among the favourites to win the award but could face tough competition from the Real Madrid trio of Vinicius Jnr, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe.