12 Days before the Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi recales Vinicius Junior

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi, recently expressed strong support for his fellow Argentine, Lautaro Martinez, after Argentina’s dominant victory over Bolivia. This comes amid speculation that Vinicius Junior could be the favorite to win the prestigious individual football award.

On October 28, the successor to Lionel Messi for the Ballon d’Or France Football will be revealed. For the first time, the suspense remains high, as the official winner will not be announced until the ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. As the event approaches, several prominent figures have shared their opinions on who should win. While players like Neymar and Ederson, among others, have voiced their support for Vinicius Junior, Messi and other Argentines have backed a different contender.

No Ballon d’Or for Vinicius Junior, according to Messi

In addition to Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni, who is firmly behind Lautaro Martinez following his impressive season with Inter Milan, Messi also hopes to see his teammate claim the 2024 Ballon d’Or. After Argentina’s 6-0 victory over Bolivia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Messi shared his thoughts.

“He had an incredible year, scored in the final, and was the top scorer of the Copa America. He deserves the Ballon d’Or more than anyone else. I hope that Lautaro wins the Ballon d’Or, he deserves it. If it doesn’t happen this time, I’m sure it will come for him in the future,” Messi told TyC Sports.

Messi’s comments come despite many believing that Vinicius Junior, after an exceptional season with Real Madrid, is the clear favorite to win this year’s award. Alongside Vinicius, names like Rodri, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, and Jude Bellingham have also been mentioned, though Martinez has Messi’s backing for the top honor.