"We can set that as a goal" - Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema provides thoughts on eyeing the 2022 Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has expressed his thoughts on potentially winning the Ballon d'Or this year.

The Frenchman has been in fine form for La Liga giants Real Madrid so far this season. The France international has scored 24 goals and provided nine assists from 27 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos.

The 34-year-old's performances for Carlo Ancelotti's side have already made him a strong candidate for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. Benzema could be deemed an early favorite for the award if he finishes the season as strong as he has started it.

Benzema has now admitted that he would be pleased to win the prestigious award this year. However, the Real Madrid star insisted that he is focused on doing better for his team than he did last year.

He told the French television program Telefoot [via Instant Foot on Twitter]:

"Winning the Ballon d'Or in 2022? Why not, we can set that as a goal, but I will do my best to do better than last year."

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Expressing his thoughts on who should be given the accolade, Benzema explained that it should be awarded to the player who proves to be important to his team, scores goals during tough periods and wins trophies. He said:

"[Finishing] 4th, 3rd, 2nd or 30th, it's the same, the important thing is to win it. Sometimes it's the prize list, sometimes it's the number of goals, it changes every year. For me, the Ballon d'Or should be given to someone who carries his team, scores goals in difficult times and wins titles."

Apart from Real Madrid, Benzema has also shone for Didier Deschamps' French national team this season. He has netted five goals in four matches for the world champions since October.

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Real Madrid star Benzema finished fourth in the 2021 Ballon d'Or

While Benzema has been in red hot form this season, he also had a spending 2020/21 campaign. The Frenchman contributed to a total of 39 goals from 46 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos.

However, the 34-year-old did not have a single trophy to show for his efforts. Hence, he could only manage a fourth-place finish in last year's Ballon d'Or rankings.

Despite being one of Real Madrid's best players for over a decade, Benzema has never finished in the top three of France Football's rankings. He will be keen to set that record straight soon.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava