"The Ballon d'Or is a dream" - Lionel Messi's teammate ready to challenge Mohamed Salah, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for France Football award

Lionel Messi's Argentina teammate Lautaro Martinez is seemingly prepared to challenge the likes of Lamine Yamal, Mohamed Salah, and Raphinha for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Apart from these players, Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Ousmane Dembele is also among the front runners for the prize.

Martinez may be in the conversation as well, with Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final. Moreover, the 27-year-old striker has made 48 appearances across competitions, bagging 22 goals and seven assists this season.

Speaking ahead of the Champions League final, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 31, Martinez said (via One Football):

"Obviously, the Ballon d’Or is a dream. Since you’re a kid, you dream of winning a World Cup or just playing in one, of winning the Champions League or playing in it. All those dreams, thank God, I’m living them. Playing in two finals in the last three years is incredible.”

Martinez would have had a stronger claim to the Ballon d'Or if Inter Milan had managed to win the Serie A as well. Unfortunately, they finished second to Napoli in the race for the title, only a point short of the eventual champions.

The others in contention have won trophies as well. Yamal and Raphinha won La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona, while Salah held the Premier League trophy with Liverpool.

Ronaldinho claims Lamine Yamal could follow Lionel Messi footsteps in winning multiple Ballon d'Ors

Lionel Messi, who is arguably considered one of the best to ever play football, has eight Ballon d'Or trophies to his name, which is the most for any player so far. Cristiano Ronaldo comes second on this list with five trophies.

Ronaldinho believes that Lamine Yamal would follow these legends and win this honor on multiple occasions. Speaking in a recent interview with MARCA, he said (via Sporting News):

“Messi and I have already made history, now it’s Lamine Yamal’s turn. Lamine Yamal is on the level of winning the Ballon d’Or. There are other great players in the world, but he’s among them. It’s surprising because he’s so young, but he can make history by winning it not just once, but several times.”

Yamal is also in the running to win this trophy this year, having netted 18 times and bagged 25 assists in 55 appearances across competitions this season. He's just 17 years old and has already won the European Championships with Spain.

About the author

Rahul has been a European football journalist for Sportskeeda since 2023. A B.B.A. L.L.B. graduate, he captained his university football team and also played for Boca Juniors Football School during his initial years, and also coached his university's girls team. He always aims to translate his tactical awareness, knowledge of the sport and first-hand experience into well-researched articles for his readers.

A follower of the beautiful game since 2014, Rahul is an avid Arsenal and a match-going Bengaluru FC fan. His favorite footballer is Mesut Ozil due to his love for nimble-footed playmakers, while his favorite manager is the legendary Arsene Wenger owing to the Frenchman's attractive style of football.

Rahul, whose favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Lionel Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, has interviewed grassroots expert Tom Byer in the past and gained insight into Japanese football. He also believes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can rule the footballing world and take Ronaldo and Messi's place.

When he is not writing, Rahul likes to spend his time playing football, following the Indian Super League and watching other sports. He is also a huge cricket fan and supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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Edited by Rahul Naresh