Inter Milan Captain Responds To Ballon D’Or Talk: ‘I Think About The Team, Then If Individual Honours Come Great’ | OneFootball

Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez has given his response to speculation that he could be in the mix for the Ballon D’Or this year.

The 27-year-old spoke to Italian broadcaster DAZN, via FCInterNews, after yesterday’s Serie A win over Roma.

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez is on this year’s Ballon D’Or shortlist.

Not only that, but the Argentine is not expected to feature towards the back of the thirty-player shortlist in voting.

While an outright victory is unlikely for Martinez, he will almost certainly end up in the top few places.

And if there is a dark horse candidate to take home the award, it could be Inter’s captain.

Martinez led Inter to the Serie A title last season. He did so as the top scorer in all of the Italian top flight.

And then over the summer, Martinez was the top scorer at the Copa America as Argentina won the competition.

This kind of combined success at club and international level is often decisive in Ballon D’Or voting.

Inter Milan Captain Lautaro Martinez Addresses Ballon D’Or Talk

Asked if he’s happy to be on the Ballon D’Or shortlist, Inter captain Martinez replied “Very, very much so.”

“One always works for the team,” the Argentine continued. “But individual rewards are also an important part of the work.”

Martinez stressed that “I think about the team.”

“But if the awards like the Ballon D’Or also come, great. It’s thanks to the coaching staff, teammates, and the fans.”

And Martinez also reacted to drawing level with Istvan Nyers in terms of foreign goalscorers in Inter’s history.

“It means a lot,” the Inter captain said.

“Because ever since the moment I arrived, they’ve treated me like I was born here.”

“That’s an important thing,” said the 27-year-old.

“I have to keep working as I always have,” Martinez said.

Of facing Roma, Inter captain Martinez said that “We came up against a very strong team.”

“But after the international break and the struggles we’d had, we needed to see the real team come out – and that showed.”

“Now we have to keep going like this,” Martinez said. “Because we have an important match on Wednesday, and then the Derby d’Italia.”