Despite being one of the greatest soccer stars of all time and the most decorated Ballon d’Or winner in history, Lionel Messi’s success is under scrutiny from a World Cup champion with Italy.
Lionel Messi has a strong case for being considered the greatest player of all time. His talent is undeniable, and the numbers back him up. The Argentine superstar holds the record for most career titles, ranks second in all-time goals scored, and leads in assists. Still, a World Cup winner with Italy has raised questions on the Ballon d’Or trophies Leo has received.
Francesco Totti, AS Roma legend, recently gave an interview on the Viva el Futbol podcast and surprised many by comparing his own career to Lionel’s. “Put Messi in Roma for 25 years. 25 years at Roma and tell me how many Ballon d’Ors he would win,” the former forward began.
“Tell me. Would he win 10 Ballon d’Ors? Do you know how many Ballon d’Ors he would win? Zero,” Totti said, causing laughter from the hosts. Among them was another former Italian player, Antonio Cassano, who was Totti’s teammate at AS Roma. “But you realize your time in Roma was complicated,” he replied.
“How do you win the Ballon d’Or there?” Totti shot back, making it clear that he felt his lack of recognition was due to playing for a weaker team compared to Messi’s Barcelona. “But it’s your fault because you’re an idiot, you should’ve gone to Real Madrid and you would’ve taken some home,” Cassano responded.
“I don’t need the Ballon d’Or. I won everything with Roma in 25 years, that’s my greatest victory,” the Italian legend clarified. “I have no regrets. Look now, we laugh, we joke about things. But I was proud to play with all these players.”
Who is Francesco Totti?
Totti was one of Europe’s top forwards during the 1990s and 2000s. He spent his entire professional career with AS Roma, playing 25 seasons between 1992 and 2017 before retiring at the age of 40. Competing against wealthier and more powerful clubs, Totti still managed to lead his team to notable success.
AS Roma won the Italian league title in the 2000–01 season, the most important club-level achievement of Francesco’s career. In the years that followed, he added four more trophies: two Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana. By the time he retired in 2017, the forward had played 786 matches for the club, scoring 359 goals and providing 205 assists.
Totti’s legacy also extends to the international stage. He earned 58 caps for the Italy national team between 1998 and 2006. His crowning achievement came in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where Italy defeated France on penalties in the final. That squad featured other iconic names like Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluigi Buffon, and Fabio Cannavaro.
Messi’s impressive Ballon d’Or record
Regardless of Francesco Totti’s comments, Lionel Messi’s success is tough to debate. The Argentine forward holds the record for most Ballon d’Or wins in history, with eight trophies.
He captured his first in 2009 at just 22 years old, then went on to win four in a row through 2012. He claimed two more with Barcelona in 2015 and 2019, while his success with the Argentina national team helped earn him two additional honors in 2021 and 2023, when he was playing with Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, respectively.
To put these impressive numbers in perspective: the closest player to Lionel Messi is Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, with five Ballon d’Ors. After him, Netherlands’ Johan Cruyff ranks next with three.
From: bolavip.com