Can Karim Benzema really become the first French Ballon d’Or of the 21st century?

After the soap opera of Kylian Mbappé’s false start at Real Madrid this summer, French football has found a new passion: the race for the Ballon d’Or of Karim Benzema. The Real Madrid and Blues striker, author of 34 goals in 48 games since the start of 2021, displays the form of his life. He could finally be the successor of Zinedine Zidane, the last French titled, in 1998.

A few weeks before his 34th birthday (December 19), he is among the favorites for the supreme award, the winner of which will be officially revealed on November 29 at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Faced with the competition of a Messi, a Lewandowski or a Jorginho, KB (1) 9 can count on the support of two former Madrilenians crowned in the past, the Brazilian Ronaldo (titled in 1997 and 2002) and Italian Fabio Cannavaro (in 2006).

Mamadou Niang has never played for Real or won the Ballon d’Or. But the former Senegalese striker of OM also defended the cause of Benzema at the end of the Heroes match organized on Wednesday evening at the Vélodrome, in favor of Unicef ​​and the Didier Drogba foundation. “Karim is on cloud nine,” Niang observed. At the start of the season, of course, he fully deserves [de le gagner]. He wears his team, as he already did all last season. He scores, he scores, he plays… ”

His very successful League of Nations, punctuated by two goals including a marvel in the final against Spain, could tip in his favor the jury of 180 journalists from different countries. However, Djibril Cissé, another “hero” of the Marseille meeting, confessed his doubts. “The heart wants to say yes. Afterwards, we know very well that there are other things that come into play, purely extra-sporting. Questions of image, of global notoriety… Messi maybe a cut above at this level. In terms of performance, there is a match. What Karim does is quite exceptional. But will that be enough? I do not know. “

Messi the spoiler?

Another former glory of the Marseille attack, Fabrizio Ravanelli goes straight to the point. “Benzema is the current top scorer, I would like him to win but in my opinion Messi will win. “Come on, there isn’t so long to wait to see if the ghost in Blue can outsmart” Penna Bianca’s “pessimistic prognosis.

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