Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has confidently picked his favourite to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or award.
Messi is the most decorated star in term of Ballon d'Or awards, having been crowned its winner a record eight times.
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Notably, the now-37-year-old is the only player to have won the prize four years in a row, having been awarded the prestigious accolade in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
In 2023, he became the second-oldest player to win the Golden Ball at the age of 36, trailing only former England star Stanley Matthews, who was named the best player in the world at the age of 41 back in 1956.
This year's award is considered to a monumental moment in the history of the Ballon d'Or, however, as it will be only the third time since 2008 that a player not named Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo will win the award.
Both failed to be named among the nominees for the 2024 prize, and look unlikely to be nominated again given that the pair are deep into the twilight of their careers and have left European football.
When asked who he thinks should win the special honour this year, Messi named his countryman Lautaro Martinez as his favourite.
"Lautaro deserves the Ballon d'Or more than anyone else," Messi told Alfredo Pedulla of TyC Sports.
"He had a spectacular year, he scored in the [Copa America] final, and he was the top scorer in the Copa America."
Martinez finished the 2023/24 campaign with 27 goals and seven assists in all competitions for Inter Milan, and also clinched the Serie A title as well as the Golden Boot award in the Italian top flight.
He finished the campaign with three trophies for club and country, including the Italian Super Cup and the 2024 Copa America.
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