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The 2022 Ballon d'Or will most certainly be won by Karim Benzema, according to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez after the Frenchman guided the club to an iconic double. Perez also feels that Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. is a definite future Ballon d'Or winner.
Benzema led Los Blancos from the front last season and delivered their 35th La Liga title, 14th UEFA Champions League crown and 12th Supercopa de Espana trophy.
The 34-year-old has scored 44 goals and given 15 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. He has outscored other Ballon d'Or contenders like Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah (31 goals) and Paris Saint-Germain attacker Kylian Mbappe (39 goals).
Speaking on the Spanish television program El Chiringuito [via Eurosport], the 75-year-old Perez backed Benzema by saying:
"We have the best centre forward in the world."
Perez also has no doubt in mind that Vinicius Jr. will win football's most coveted individual prize one fine day. After joining from Flamengo in 2018, Vinicius Jr. had his best season in a Real Madrid shirt in the 2021-22 campaign. In 52 appearances across all competitions, he registered 22 goals and 20 assists last season.
Due to his performances, the left-winger was also named the 'UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season'.
Karim Benzema's strong case for winning the 2022 Ballon d'Or
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in 2018, Karim Benzema has been Real Madrid's talisman. After helping the La Liga club win a domestic title in the 2019-20 season, he reached stratospheric standards this season.
Scoring left, right and centre, Benzema helped decide the outcome of a host of matches almost single-handedly. Registering a goal or an assist in every 89 minutes last season, the striker has already picked up the prestigious Pichichi award and the UEFA Champions League Golden Boot.
Even Lionel Messi, the recipient of last year's Ballon d'Or, has backed the Frenchman for this year's Ballon d'Or. When asked about who should win the prestigious award this year, he told TyC Sports [via Eurosport]:
“There are no doubts. It’s very clear that [Karim] Benzema had a brilliant year and ended up winning the UEFA Champions League, being fundamental from the last-16 onwards in every game.”
On his way to his fifth UEFA Champions League triumph, Benzema scored 15 goals in just 12 appearances. He also equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record in the competition by scoring 10 goals in the knockout stages. He also scored two consecutive hat-tricks in clutch games against PSG and Chelsea in the Round of 16 second leg and quarterfinal first leg respectively.
