“I dream of winning the Ballon d’Or”. This wish, which Benzema confessed in the exclusive interview granted to AS last week, is closer to coming true. The Frenchman is right now the fittest footballer on the planet and has had the best year of his life. He is among the 30 candidates to win the award, but his name had not yet broken through with force among the favorites for one reason: his year was missing a title. Now, after the achievement of the Nations League with France, there are many voices that point to him as the main favorite to lift him.
Benzema’s 2021 (calendar year) has been superb: 34 goals and 15 assists. He has led Real Madrid, which he managed to carry until the end of the year fighting the League and the Champions League, and on his return to France after reconciling with Deschamps he has become the most prominent of a team that already had a varied collection of stars. (Mbappé, Griezmann, Pogba …).
The Ballon d’Or awards a whole year, but it is evidence that weighs heavily on voters at the present time. And the start of the course that Benzema has made does not admit discussion: 10 goals (one per game) and seven assists with Madrid. To that must be added the exhibition in the Nations League, where he rescued France with two goals (one in the semifinal to Belgium and another in the final to Spain) at critical moments where they were behind on the scoreboard.
His candidacy is exciting in Madrid, but also in France. The creators of the award have been since 1998, when Zidane won it, without seeing how a Frenchman raises it. Griezmann appeared at the table of the best in 2018, when France won the World Cup (they finished third, as in 2016), but never has a Frenchman been so close to achieving it as this year Benzema.
Rivals
Among the other favorites, four stand out: Lewandowski, Messi, Cristiano and Jorginho. The Pole counts in his favor with his huge year (50 goals between Bayern and Poland) and with being the moral winner of 2020, the year in which France Football decided to leave it vacant due to the pandemic. In those pools, as always, are Messi and Cristiano: The Argentine has 42 goals, 17 assists and a Copa América with Argentina, in which he was the best (four goals and five assists) although he did not shine in the final. He comes from scoring in the break with his team and scoring a great goal in the Champions League against City. The Portuguese was the Golden Boot of the Eurocup, reached the historical record scorer national teams and was top scorer in Serie A (29). The other great candidate is Jorginho, with less glamor individually (four goals and two assists) but with the two most important collective titles: Champions with Chelsea and Eurocup with Italy.
With much fewer options than the previous ones, there are other players who have also had a great year: Haaland, Kanté, Neymar, De Bruyne and Luis Suárez are some of them.
Finally, the three nominated Spaniards (Pedri, Azpilicueta and Gerard) do not appear among the favorites although the Canary, for whom it is a great success to be among the top 30 at 18 years old, You have many options to win the Kopa Trophy (for those under 21 years old).
“I dream of winning the Ballon d’Or”. This wish, which Benzema confessed in the exclusive interview granted to AS last week, is closer to coming true. The Frenchman is right now the fittest footballer on the planet and has had the best year of his life. He is among the 30 candidates to win the award, but his name had not yet broken through with force among the favorites for one reason: his year was missing a title. Now, after the achievement of the Nations League with France, there are many voices that point to him as the main favorite to lift him.
Benzema’s 2021 (calendar year) has been superb: 34 goals and 15 assists. He has led Real Madrid, which he managed to carry until the end of the year fighting the League and the Champions League, and on his return to France after reconciling with Deschamps he has become the most prominent of a team that already had a varied collection of stars. (Mbappé, Griezmann, Pogba …).
The Ballon d’Or awards a whole year, but it is evidence that weighs heavily on voters at the present time. And the start of the course that Benzema has made does not admit discussion: 10 goals (one per game) and seven assists with Madrid. To that must be added the exhibition in the Nations League, where he rescued France with two goals (one in the semifinal to Belgium and another in the final to Spain) at critical moments where they were behind on the scoreboard.
His candidacy is exciting in Madrid, but also in France. The creators of the award have been since 1998, when Zidane won it, without seeing how a Frenchman raises it. Griezmann appeared at the table of the best in 2018, when France won the World Cup (they finished third, as in 2016), but never has a Frenchman been so close to achieving it as this year Benzema.
Rivals
Among the other favorites, four stand out: Lewandowski, Messi, Cristiano and Jorginho. The Pole counts in his favor with his huge year (50 goals between Bayern and Poland) and with being the moral winner of 2020, the year in which France Football decided to leave it vacant due to the pandemic. In those pools, as always, are Messi and Cristiano: The Argentine has 42 goals, 17 assists and a Copa América with Argentina, in which he was the best (four goals and five assists) although he did not shine in the final. He comes from scoring in the break with his team and scoring a great goal in the Champions League against City. The Portuguese was the Golden Boot of the Eurocup, reached the historical record scorer national teams and was top scorer in Serie A (29). The other great candidate is Jorginho, with less glamor individually (four goals and two assists) but with the two most important collective titles: Champions with Chelsea and Eurocup with Italy.
With much fewer options than the previous ones, there are other players who have also had a great year: Haaland, Kanté, Neymar, De Bruyne and Luis Suárez are some of them.
Finally, the three nominated Spaniards (Pedri, Azpilicueta and Gerard) do not appear among the favorites although the Canary, for whom it is a great success to be among the top 30 at 18 years old, You have many options to win the Kopa Trophy (for those under 21 years old).
“I dream of winning the Ballon d’Or”. This wish, which Benzema confessed in the exclusive interview granted to AS last week, is closer to coming true. The Frenchman is right now the fittest footballer on the planet and has had the best year of his life. He is among the 30 candidates to win the award, but his name had not yet broken through with force among the favorites for one reason: his year was missing a title. Now, after the achievement of the Nations League with France, there are many voices that point to him as the main favorite to lift him.
Benzema’s 2021 (calendar year) has been superb: 34 goals and 15 assists. He has led Real Madrid, which he managed to carry until the end of the year fighting the League and the Champions League, and on his return to France after reconciling with Deschamps he has become the most prominent of a team that already had a varied collection of stars. (Mbappé, Griezmann, Pogba …).
The Ballon d’Or awards a whole year, but it is evidence that weighs heavily on voters at the present time. And the start of the course that Benzema has made does not admit discussion: 10 goals (one per game) and seven assists with Madrid. To that must be added the exhibition in the Nations League, where he rescued France with two goals (one in the semifinal to Belgium and another in the final to Spain) at critical moments where they were behind on the scoreboard.
His candidacy is exciting in Madrid, but also in France. The creators of the award have been since 1998, when Zidane won it, without seeing how a Frenchman raises it. Griezmann appeared at the table of the best in 2018, when France won the World Cup (they finished third, as in 2016), but never has a Frenchman been so close to achieving it as this year Benzema.
Rivals
Among the other favorites, four stand out: Lewandowski, Messi, Cristiano and Jorginho. The Pole counts in his favor with his huge year (50 goals between Bayern and Poland) and with being the moral winner of 2020, the year in which France Football decided to leave it vacant due to the pandemic. In those pools, as always, are Messi and Cristiano: The Argentine has 42 goals, 17 assists and a Copa América with Argentina, in which he was the best (four goals and five assists) although he did not shine in the final. He comes from scoring in the break with his team and scoring a great goal in the Champions League against City. The Portuguese was the Golden Boot of the Eurocup, reached the historical record scorer national teams and was top scorer in Serie A (29). The other great candidate is Jorginho, with less glamor individually (four goals and two assists) but with the two most important collective titles: Champions with Chelsea and Eurocup with Italy.
With much fewer options than the previous ones, there are other players who have also had a great year: Haaland, Kanté, Neymar, De Bruyne and Luis Suárez are some of them.
Finally, the three nominated Spaniards (Pedri, Azpilicueta and Gerard) do not appear among the favorites although the Canary, for whom it is a great success to be among the top 30 at 18 years old, You have many options to win the Kopa Trophy (for those under 21 years old).
“I dream of winning the Ballon d’Or”. This wish, which Benzema confessed in the exclusive interview granted to AS last week, is closer to coming true. The Frenchman is right now the fittest footballer on the planet and has had the best year of his life. He is among the 30 candidates to win the award, but his name had not yet broken through with force among the favorites for one reason: his year was missing a title. Now, after the achievement of the Nations League with France, there are many voices that point to him as the main favorite to lift him.
Benzema’s 2021 (calendar year) has been superb: 34 goals and 15 assists. He has led Real Madrid, which he managed to carry until the end of the year fighting the League and the Champions League, and on his return to France after reconciling with Deschamps he has become the most prominent of a team that already had a varied collection of stars. (Mbappé, Griezmann, Pogba …).
The Ballon d’Or awards a whole year, but it is evidence that weighs heavily on voters at the present time. And the start of the course that Benzema has made does not admit discussion: 10 goals (one per game) and seven assists with Madrid. To that must be added the exhibition in the Nations League, where he rescued France with two goals (one in the semifinal to Belgium and another in the final to Spain) at critical moments where they were behind on the scoreboard.
His candidacy is exciting in Madrid, but also in France. The creators of the award have been since 1998, when Zidane won it, without seeing how a Frenchman raises it. Griezmann appeared at the table of the best in 2018, when France won the World Cup (they finished third, as in 2016), but never has a Frenchman been so close to achieving it as this year Benzema.
Rivals
Among the other favorites, four stand out: Lewandowski, Messi, Cristiano and Jorginho. The Pole counts in his favor with his huge year (50 goals between Bayern and Poland) and with being the moral winner of 2020, the year in which France Football decided to leave it vacant due to the pandemic. In those pools, as always, are Messi and Cristiano: The Argentine has 42 goals, 17 assists and a Copa América with Argentina, in which he was the best (four goals and five assists) although he did not shine in the final. He comes from scoring in the break with his team and scoring a great goal in the Champions League against City. The Portuguese was the Golden Boot of the Eurocup, reached the historical record scorer national teams and was top scorer in Serie A (29). The other great candidate is Jorginho, with less glamor individually (four goals and two assists) but with the two most important collective titles: Champions with Chelsea and Eurocup with Italy.
With much fewer options than the previous ones, there are other players who have also had a great year: Haaland, Kanté, Neymar, De Bruyne and Luis Suárez are some of them.
Finally, the three nominated Spaniards (Pedri, Azpilicueta and Gerard) do not appear among the favorites although the Canary, for whom it is a great success to be among the top 30 at 18 years old, You have many options to win the Kopa Trophy (for those under 21 years old).