Totti on Ballon d’Or snub: “Even Messi wouldn’t win at Roma”

The former Italian attacking midfielder spoke about the topic in a heated interview with ex-teammate Antonio Cassano, referencing Lionel Messi in his explanation.

"If you put Messi at Roma for 25 years, do you know how many Ballons d'Or he would win? None! Then how could I win?!" Totti said, highlighting how tough it was to win such an award while playing for a club at Roma’s level.

Cassano, however, blamed Totti for his lack of a Ballon d’Or, saying he could have moved to a bigger club.

"It's your fault; you're stupid! You should have gone to Real Madrid, and you would have won some," Cassano said.

But Totti stood by his decision to stay loyal to Roma, saying his love for the club mattered more than personal trophies.

"I don't care about winning that award; I won with Roma. I stayed for 25 years; this is the biggest victory. I don't regret anything," Totti added.

Totti spent his entire career at Roma, winning a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. He remains the second-highest scorer in Italian league history with 250 goals and is the sixth-highest-scoring Italian in all competitions with 316 goals.

The Roma icon is also the club’s all-time top scorer and most-capped player. He holds the record for the most Serie A goals scored for a single club and was the youngest captain in Serie A history. 

Because of his achievements and loyalty, Totti was often called the Ottavo Re di Roma, the eighth King of Rome.