Francesco Totti, AS Roma icon, surprised everyone with a controversial statement about Lionel Messi. The legendary Italian footballer, who spent 25 years of his career at the Serie A club, claimed that Messi would not have won a single Ballon d’Or if he had played at Roma throughout that time.
In an interview for the Viva el Fútbol podcast, Totti was blunt when analyzing how Messi’s career would have gone at Roma. “Put Messi at Roma for 25 years. 25 years, and tell me how many Ballon d’Ors he would win,” started Il Capitano. “Would he win ten Ballon d’Ors? Do you know how many he would win? Zero,” fired the former player, making it clear that, in his opinion, the lack of international success at Roma would have been an obstacle for Messi to achieve those individual awards.
For Totti, the context in which a player develops is crucial to winning distinctions like the Ballon d’Or. He argued that, despite Messi’s undeniable talent, he wouldn’t have reached the same heights if his career had been at a club that lacks the European success of other giants like FC Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain.
The podcast host interrupted during the interview, mentioning to Totti that the Italian didn’t win the Ballon d’Or because he didn’t accept the offer from Real Madrid at the time. However, the Italian was clear and firm in his response: “I don’t need that award. I won everything with Roma in 25 years, that’s my victory. I don’t regret anything.” The former player emphasized that his legacy at Roma is far more significant to him than any individual trophy, as he feels proud of having spent his entire career at one club and achieving great things with the Lupa team.
Totti stressed that his decision to never leave Roma and stay at the club for 25 years was a life choice that allowed him to build a unique bond with the fans and the club. For him, being with Roma for so long gave him a satisfaction that he wouldn’t trade for any Ballon d’Or. Additionally, he highlighted that his personal story, full of challenges and triumphs with Roma, is his greatest pride.
