Zinedine Zidane, winner of the 1998 award, has named his choice to win the Ballon d’Or in 2021.
Karim Benzema has Zinedine Zidane’s backing for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award ahead of next month’s ceremony.
As the days roll by, Benzema’s credentials for a first Ballon d’Or grow stronger. The striker is in the best form of his career, having had a terrific start to the season. He has already scored 10 goals in as many games across all competitions for Real Madrid and chipped in a further seven assists.
Helping France win the UEFA Nations League this month has cemented his status. The 33-year-old’s former Real Madrid boss Zidane, therefore, is convinced he has done enough to win the award.
"Benzema mérite de gagner ce Ballon d'Or. C'est un joueur incroyable, j'ai eu le grand honneur de l'entraîner. Il sait tout faire sur le terrain. Il est au-dessus, et j'espère qu'il pourra être récompensé de ce Ballon d'Or"
Les louanges de Zidane pour @Benzema 😍 (@BarniaudSeb) pic.twitter.com/jN3UVqPQPL
— Téléfoot (@telefoot_TF1) October 17, 2021
“Karim is in fine form. I would give him the Ballon d’Or. He deserves it,” Zidane told Telefoot.
“Benzema deserves it. He is an incredible player, I had the great honor of coaching him.
“He knows how to do everything on the field. He is above [everyone] and I hope he can be rewarded with this Ballon d’Or.”
Zidane’s old Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo Nazario, a two-time winner himself, has also backed Benzema for the Ballon d’Or.
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