Mario Balotelli revela su ídolo de fútbol y no es Lionel Messi o Cristiano Ronaldo

Mario Balotelli reveals his football idol and it's not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo

football

Express newspaper

11/08/2025 16:31

The former Man City and Liverpool striker made his opinion on the matter clear.

Mario Balotelli has revealed who his football idol is, choosing neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi.

Balotelli is well known to Premier League fans thanks to his time at Manchester City and Liverpool.

The flamboyant Italian striker joined City from Inter in 2010 and won the FA Cup and Premier League with the club.

Balotelli moved to AC Milan in 2013 before returning to England and signing for Liverpool.

But Balotelli's spell at Anfield was not a success and he returned to the San Siro on loan for the 2015/16 season, before finally moving to Nice in 2016.

After leaving Nice in 2019, Balotelli's career has seen moves almost every summer and he has represented several clubs in France, Switzerland, Turkey and Italy.

Speaking to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Balotelli said:

"I'm looking for a club that will have faith in me. I want to play for another two or three years. Then I'll go to my brother Enock. He's currently playing for Vado in the amateurs. We'll see. However, I promised him that I would finish my career playing alongside him."

Mario Balotelli reveals his football idol

In the same interview, Balotelli revealed who his football idol was, and the choice was neither Ronaldo nor Messi.

The two are widely regarded as some of the greatest footballers of all time and are a common choice for the GOAT title, thanks to the 13 Ballons d'Or they have won together.

But Balotelli chose a player who excelled for Inter in the 90s – Ronaldo Nazario.

The Brazilian played for Inter from 1997 to 2002, scoring 59 goals in 99 appearances for the club. It was a period Balotelli recalled with nostalgia, as he explained why Ronaldo is his footballing idol, who, like him, ended up playing for both Milan clubs.

"When I was a kid, I was a Nerazzurri fan because my idol was Ronaldo Fenomeni, and I've never hidden my love for the Rossoneri. But being a fan is something else entirely," he said. /GazetaExpress/