“He deserves it more than anyone” - Lionel Scaloni snubs Rodri and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr as he picks surprise Ballon d’Or winner 

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has overlooked Real Madrid winger Vinicus Junior and Manchester City midfielder Rodri and expressed his desire for Lautaro Martinez to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or. The Inter Milan striker had a successful season with both club and country, winning the Scudetto with his club and the Copa America with Argentina.

Following Argentina’s triumph in the FIFA World Cup 2022, Martinez was a key player for Simone Inzaghi’s Inter, who convincingly won Serie A last season. The 27-year-old captained the Nerazzurri to their 20th Scudetto, making them the second most successful team in the league’s history, behind Juventus.

Across all competitions, Martinez scored 27 goals and provided seven assists, while also winning the Serie A Golden Boot. The 27-year-old was the top scorer in the Copa America as well, where he netted five goals, including the winner in the final against Colombia during extra time.

Scaloni believes that the forward deserves the Ballon d’Or and emphasized that he has a bright future ahead for both club and country.

“He’s (Lautaro Martinez) had a spectacular year, he scored in the final, he was the top scorer of the Copa America, and he deserves it more than anyone. I hope he can get it, he’s a guy I really appreciate a lot, and hopefully, he gets this opportunity, which if not now, will come later because he still has a huge future ahead,” Scaloni said (via All About Argentina on X).

In addition to Scaloni, former Argentina striker German Denis also believes that Martinez should be the leading candidate for the Ballon d’Or, given his achievements with both club and country.

Martinez is certainly regarded as one of several contenders for the prestigious award. Vinicius and Rodri are currently seen as the top two favorites, while Real Madrid duo Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, both of whom had outstanding seasons, are also expected to be in the running for the award. Real Madrid won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League last season, while Manchester City won the Premier League.

"I deserve to be where I am" - Lautaro Martinez on his Ballon d’Or prospects as he competes with Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr and Manchester City's Rodri

Martinez was one of the Ballon d’Or nominees last year as well, but only finished 20th. However, this time around, he is viewed as a strong contender for the award due to his recent successes.

Following his nomination, the Argentine striker expressed his belief that he is "ready" to compete for the award, stating that his consistency for both club and country is finally beginning to pay off.

"Considering the season I had, I deserve to be where I am. I worked hard and suffered so much in the previous years. This is the second year in a row that I will participate in this ceremony. I think that I am ready to compete for this recognition,” he said last month (via Football Italia).

After all the success he has had recently, Martinez extended his contract with Inter for another five years. However, he has not started this season as strongly as he did last year, scoring three goals in eight games. Inter currently sit in second place in the table, two points behind leaders Napoli.

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