“I’m very excited” - Lautaro Martinez speaks up on chance against Rodri and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in Ballon d’Or race
Lautaro Martinez has opened up on the Ballon d'Or race with Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr and Manchester City midfielder Rodri. The trio are among the 30-man shortlist for the coveted award this year.
The Argentinean was on exceptional form for Inter Milan last season, scoring 27 goals and setting up seven more from 44 games. He helped the Nerazzurri win the Serie A title while also playing a starring role in Argentina's Copa America triumph over the summer.
Speaking recently, as cited by All About Argentina, the 27-year-old insisted that he is excited to be in the race this year.
“The Ballon d'Or? The season was spectacular. I was able to win the championship with Inter, cap it off with 5 goals, and win the Copa América. I don’t want to say that I deserve the Ballon d’Or, but I’m very excited,” said Martinez.
However, Vinicius Jr and Rodri could pose a stiff challenge to Martinez in the race for the coveted prize. The Brazilian was in expectional form for Real Madrid last season, helping Los Blancos win the league as well as the Champions League.
Rodri, meanwhile, was equally decisive for Manchester City, propelling them to a record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title. The Spaniard went on to guide La Roja to the Euro 2024 title over the summer.
Can Vinicius Jr bring the Ballon d'Or to Real Madrid this year?
Vinicius Jr could become the record-extending ninth Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d'Or. A record eight different Los Blancos players have won the coveted prized so far.
Alfredo Di Stefano (1957,1959), Raymond Copa (1958), Luis Figo (2000) Ronaldo Nazario (2002) and Fabio Cannivaro (2006) all won the award during their time at the Santiago Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo won the award four times in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Luka Modric was the first player to break Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's dominance on the award in 2018. Karim Benzema became the latest Real Madrid player added to the list in 2022.
Vinicius Jr could also become the fifth Brazilian to win the Ballon d'Or if he goes all the way this season. The 24-year-old registered 24 goals and 11 assists from 39 games last season for Los Blancos.
Despite the arrival of Kylian Mbappe this summer, the Brazilian has held his own at the Santiago Bernabeu. He has registered four goals and seven assists from 11 games for Real Madrid across competitions so far this campaign.
