Italy legend Fabio Cannavaro has lauded Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez after he cracked the 30-man shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, claiming he is the only Serie A player good enough to play for Real Madrid or Manchester City. The 2006 Ballon d’Or winner also sent a warning to Golden Ball aspirant Dani Carvajal, suggesting the award is not fair to defenders.
On Wednesday, September 4, France Football released a 30-man shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. The list, which did not include either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi for the first time since 2003, only had five players from Serie A. Apart from Inter’s Martinez, there were Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu, and Roma pair Mats Hummels and Artem Dovbyk.
Fabio Cannavaro Claims Lautaro Martinez Is Good Enough For Real Madrid Or Manchester City
Commenting on the Ballon d’Or shortlist, the 2006 FIFA World Cup winner said (via Football-Italia):
“You can’t question Lautaro. He won the title and Copa America, and he always makes a difference.
“I hope Serie A and Inter will never lose him. When I think about Serie A footballers who could play for Man City or Real Madrid, I think of Lautaro and perhaps nobody else.”
Martinez had a splendid year for Inter Milan and Argentina. He scored 24 goals and claimed six assists in 33 games as the Nerazzurri won the title. He was equally prolific for Argentina in the 2024 Copa America, netting five times in six games.
Fabio Cannavaro Gives Ballon d’Or Warning To Dani Carvajal
Real Madrid right-back Carvajal is the only player on the 30-man shortlist who won the league title, the UEFA Champions League, and the 2024 European Championship. He also turned out to be a key player in all three competitions. Cannavaro, however, is seemingly not confident of his chances of winning the Golden Ball.
The former Real Madrid center-back said:
“He [Carvajal] won everything. But a defender must do extraordinary things to win the Ballon d’Or.”
Cannavaro, who won 138 caps for Italy, was the last defender to win the coveted Ballon d’Or trophy. The ex-Juventus star’s triumph came on the back of Italy’s FIFA World Cup win in 2006.
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