Gazzetta dello Sport Poll: Lautaro Should Be the Frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or; No Repeat of Sneijder’s Injustice

The Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport has conducted a poll to determine who should win the 2024 Ballon d’Or. In the poll, Lautaro, the Serie A MVP, leads with 45.1% of the votes, surpassing the likes of Vinicius and Bellingham, who are among the favorites for the award.

Among the candidates listed by the Italian media, Lautaro received 45.1% of the votes. Rodri, the Spanish international from Manchester City, came in second with 26.3% of the votes. Vinicius, the Brazilian international from Real Madrid, placed third with 17.3% of the votes, while Bellingham, the English star from Real Madrid, received 11.5% of the votes and ranked fourth.

The Italian media commented that Lautaro’s 2023-24 season was “powerful, decisive, and fruitful.” He scored 24 goals in Serie A matches—22 of which were open-play goals—and helped Inter Milan secure their 20th title (the second star). He also won the Serie A MVP (Best Player) award by a wide margin and contributed to Inter’s victory in the Italian Super Cup. At the Copa America following the end of the season, Lautaro scored five goals, helping Argentina win the championship and earning the title of top scorer. In particular, when Messi was substituted due to injury in the final, Lautaro became the key player in deciding the champion.

However, the Italian media also pointed out that it will be very difficult for Lautaro to win the award. The frontrunners are Vinicius, Bellingham, and Rodri, and Lautaro can only be considered “one of the contenders.” The media also revisited an old grievance, noting that the last player in a similar situation was Sneijder in 2010. At that time, Sneijder, bolstered by winning the treble (Serie A + Coppa Italia + Champions League), led the Netherlands to the World Cup final and finished as runners-up. Alongside his impressive team achievements, Sneijder also had the accolades of being the top assist provider in the Champions League and joint-top goal scorer at the World Cup. However, in the final voting, he did not even make the top three, finishing only in fourth place, which is still seen by the Italian media as a “great injustice in football history.” The Italian media wishes Lautaro good luck this time around, hoping that even if he does not win, he can achieve a good ranking.

Lautaro has been included in the top 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or twice before. In 2021, he scored six points and finished tied for 21st place. In 2023, he scored four points and was tied for 19th with Kane and Griezmann.