Materazzi: “Lautaro seserves top 5 in Ballon d’Or, Messi’s endorsement worth more than Jury”

Former Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi has weighed in on Lautaro Martinez’s seventh-place finish in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings, suggesting the Argentine striker deserved a higher position.

“I would have definitely placed him in the top five,” Materazzi stated. “No complaints about Rodri or those who won the Champions League and European Championship, like Carvajal. But Lautaro has also won, with Inter and Argentina… He’s right to say he expected more.”

Materazzi criticized the jury’s decision, saying, “Sometimes those who choose follow bizarre paths, let’s put it that way. As far as I’m concerned, the Ballon d’Or is an award that doesn’t count for much. The real value is defined by the club with which you lift cups and the trophies you win.”

He highlighted Martinez’s recent successes: “Lautaro is doing pretty well: he’s stringing together one success after another with Inter, as captain, and the same is happening with Argentina. He’s won a World Cup and two Copa Americas, the last one as the tournament’s top scorer. That’s what really counts.”

Materazzi also pointed out perceived inconsistencies in the award’s criteria, citing Wesley Sneijder’s fourth-place finish in 2010 despite winning the treble with Inter and reaching the World Cup final with the Netherlands. “If Robben hadn’t missed a crucial goal against Spain, maybe history would have changed,” he remarked.

He emphasized Messi’s endorsement of Martinez: “Lautaro should cherish those words because Messi’s judgment is worth more than the entire Ballon d’Or jury put together. Messi said, ‘He deserves it more than anyone else.’ That’s high praise from someone who knows what it takes to be at the top.”

Looking to the future, Materazzi expressed optimism about Martinez’s chances of winning the prestigious award: “It’s an exciting race. Regardless of voting criteria, he’ll be competing with great strikers like Mbappé and Haaland. But for character and temperament, I’d choose Lautaro every time.”

The former defender dismissed criticisms of Martinez’s Champions League performances: “Lautaro has scored everywhere, played in a Champions League final two seasons ago, triumphed in the Copa America scoring more than anyone and deciding the final. What are we talking about? He’s proven himself time and again.”

As he reflected on Martinez’s potential, Materazzi concluded: “I hope he can achieve what I did: winning a league title, Champions League, Club World Cup, and a World Cup with his national team. He just needs to fill those last two boxes.”