Francesco Totti criticized Messi: 'Put him 25 years in Rome and he doesn't win any Ballon d'Or.'

Francesco Totti, eternal idol of Roma and emblem of the Italian National Team, held nothing back when commenting on Lionel Messi's career, current captain of the Argentine National Team and one of the most significant figures in sports so far in the 21st century.

Amid rumors linking Kevin De Bruyne with Inter Miami, where he could share a team with Messi ahead of the next Club World Cup, Totti made a bold statement during his participation in the podcast Que Viva el Fútbol. "Put Messi in Roma for 25 years. 25 years in Rome and tell me how many Ballon d'Ors he wins. Would he win 10 Ballon d'Ors? Do you know how many Ballon d'Ors he would win? Zero," he said bluntly, causing an immediate stir.

The statement prompted a reaction from one of the journalists present, who replied with irony for having decided to stay his entire career at Roma: "But it's your fault because you're an idiot, because you should've gone to Madrid and taken some home."

Totti's response was quick and equally sharp: "I don't need the Ballon d'Or. I won everything with Roma in 25 years, that's my greatest victory. I don't regret anything." The exchange, captured on video, quickly went viral on social media, where it caused mixed opinions.

Totti's career

Francesco Totti's career with Roma's jersey is one of the most emblematic in European football. He played his entire life at the capital club, where he won Serie A in the 2000/01 season, the Italian Super Cup in 2001 and 2007, and the Coppa Italia in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 editions. Additionally,  he holds the record for appearances with the club, with 778 official matches played. Internationally, he also reached glory by becoming world champion with the Italian National Team in Germany 2006.

The fact that he never went to a more prominent team at the continental level could be one of the reasons why he never won a Ballon d'Or. He was nominated 6 times:

• 2000: 14th with 7 votes
• 2001: 5th with 57 votes
• 2002: Named among the world's top 50
• 2003: 18th place with 3 votes
• 2004: Named among the world's top 50
• 2007: 10th place with 20 votes

Ballon d'Or winners are from bigger clubs

Among those awarded by France Football magazine, there isn't a single player from Roma. This fact could be the reason why Totti posed the question to the journalists of Que Viva el Fútbol, as he might be considering that it's easier to win this award if playing in teams with greater international renown.

The Top 10 Ballon d'Or Winners:

1. LIONEL MESSI | 8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2019 at Barcelona, 2021 at PSG, and 2023 at Inter Miami)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 (2008 at Manchester United, and 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 at Real Madrid)
3. Michel Platini | 3 (1983, 1984, and 1985 at Juventus)
4. Johan Cruyff | 3 (1971 and 1973 at Ajax, and 1974 at Barcelona)
5. Marco van Basten | 3 (1988, 1989, and 1992 at Milan)
6. Franz Beckenbauer | 2 (1972 and 1976 at Bayern Munich)
7. Ronaldo Nazário | 2 (1997 at Inter and 2002 at Real Madrid)
8. Alfredo Di Stéfano | 2 (1957 and 1959 at Real Madrid)
9. Kevin Keegan | 2 (1978 and 1979 at Liverpool)
10. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 2 (1980 and 1981 at Bayern Munich)