Inter Miami boss Tata Martino backs Real Madrid man to win 2024 Ballon d'Or but insists Lionel Messi is still 'best player in the world'
Inter Miami boss Tata Martino has backed Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or despite hailing Lionel Messi as the best player in the world. The Brazilian is one of the favorites to win the award after a memorable 2023-24 season with Real Madrid, winning the UEFA Champions League, the Supercopa de Espana, and LaLiga.
Vinicius Jr. was one of the most impactful players for Los Blancos in the 2023-24 season, contributing 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 club games across competitions. This tally also included a hat-trick against arch-rivals Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final, where Real Madrid won 4-1 at Al-Awwal Park.
The Brazilian was especially effective in the UEFA Champions League, registering six goals and five assists in 10 games. He also scored in their 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the final, helping the club win their record 15th Champions League title at Wembley.
Speaking to the media before Inter Miami's MLS play-off clash against Atlanta United (via @BOLAVIP US), Tata Martino tipped Vinicius Jr. to win the Ballon d'Or. However, Lionel Messi was still the best player in the world according to the Argentine tactician.
"I never understood if the [Ballon d’Or] is for the best player in the world or the best player of [a given season]. And there is the difference right there. Probably Vinícius has the merit of being the best [player last season] but if you ask me who is the best player in the world [overall], it’s Lionel Messi,” he said.
Lionel Messi was the last recipient of the Ballon d'Or, bagging his record eighth win after captaining Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022. However, the last four winners - Lionel Messi (2023), Karim Benzema (2022), Luka Modric (2018), and Cristiano Ronaldo (2017) haven't been nominated this year.
Therefore, we are guaranteed to see a fresh new face lifting the Ballon d'Or at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on October 28.
Ballon d'Or favorite Vinicius Jr. once chose between Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
The Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate has dominated football discourse for more than two decades now. While both are absolute titans of the game, fans and pundits have fought over who is the better among the two for eternity.
Ballon d'Or favorite Vinicius Jr. once weighed in on the GOAT debate. During his days at Flamengo, a teenage Vinicius Jr. chose Messi in a social media interview (as cited by Bolavip).
“Messi or Cristiano? Messi, Messi,” Vinicius said.
However, the player's opinion might have changed since coming to Real Madrid. In January 2023, he shared a photo with Cristiano Ronaldo on social media, accompanied by a goat emoji. This signifies that the player might have switched his allegiance to the Portuguese after joining Real Madrid.