Lionel Messi backs Karim Benzema to win Ballon d’Or

Few would have predicted that Karim Benzema would outlast both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in Spanish football, but the Frenchman has emerged as the best player in Spain. Now the 34-year-old could be on the verge of securing an award that use to be exclusively disputed between Messi and Ronaldo.

Or at least he should be, according to Messi himself. Marca carried Messi’s words from an interview with TyC Sports, where he was asked who should win the Ballon d’Or this year.

“I think this year there are no doubts, it is clear that Benzema had a spectacular year.”

“He ended up consecrating that year with the Champions League, being fundamental from the Round of 16 onwards in every game. I don’t think there are doubts this year.”

In addition to his Champions League exploits, Benzema was inarguably the best player in La Liga last season too.

Across all competitions, Benzema recorded 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 appearances. Beyond the statistics though, the number of exceptional technical goals that Benzema authored was remarkable. Many of those were differential for the result too.

The big matches that Real Madrid faced without Benzema, Los Blancos lost 1-0 to Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain and 4-0 to his former club Barcelona, an illustration of just how crucial he was to their success.