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Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek has named Karim Benzema as his pick for the 2022 Ballon d'Or award. He lauded the Frenchman's performances in the Champions League and backed him to win the coveted prize.
Real Madrid are set to face Liverpool in the Champions League final at the Stade de France on May 28. Benzema has scored 15 goals in the competition so far, including some crucial goals in the knockout stages.
Benzema scored a hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Round of 16. He then scored four goals over two legs against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, including a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge in the first leg.
The 34-year-old then followed it up with three goals against Manchester City in the semi-finals.
His performances have certainly impressed Dudek. When asked about his pick for the 2022 Ballon d'Or in an interview with Marca, he said:
"Benzema deserves the Ballon d'Or, without a doubt. His performance in the Champions League and how he has given Madrid that second life in the most important games has been incredible.
"Of course, it was also thanks to his teammates: the passes from Modric, Vinicius, Rodrygo with his goals in the last few minutes... Many players have helped him, but I think he deserves to be the best player."
Karim Benzema is the clear favorite for the 2022 Ballon d'Or
Names like Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe have been thrown into the mix for the highest individual honor in football. However, Benzema is arguably the clear favorite in terms of both stats and achievements.
Real Madrid won the Supercopa de Espana and La Liga and have reached the Champions League final as well. Benzema won the Pichichi award by scoring 27 goals in 32 appearances in the league this season. He also had 12 assists.
Overall, the Frenchman has scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists in 45 games across competitions. Benzema also became the first ever French player to score over 10 goals in one Champions League campaign.
He equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 10 goals in the knockout stages of the competition as well. The Portuguese achieved this in a triumphant 2016-17 season with Real Madrid.
Benzema can overtake this feat, and could also surpass the record for the most goals scored in a single UCL season of 17 goals in the final against Liverpool. That record is also held by Ronaldo, who accomplished it in the 2013-14 season when Real Madrid won their 10th title.
Needless to say, if Real Madrid win the Champions League, Benzema is likely to receive his first ever Ballon d'Or.
