Lionel Messi says Karim Benzema “really deserved” Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi (36), one of this year’s favourites for the Ballon d’Or, has said that last year’s winner Karim Benzema (35) deserved the prize in a documentary aired on L’Équipe. 

Benzema won the trophy in 2022 after leading Real Madrid to the Champions League title. The Olympique Lyonnais academy product beat his personal goalscoring record that year, netting 44 times in the 2021/22 campaign. Many of those goals came in the Champions League group stages. He became the fifth Frenchman to win the Ballon d’Or and the first since Zinédine Zidane, who won the trophy in 1998. 

Whilst Benzema is once again nominated, alongside compatriots Randal Kolo Muani and Kylian Mbappé, he is not considered one of the favourites for the trophy. The former OL forward has since left Real Madrid to join Saudi side Al-Ittihad. 

Speaking ahead of next Monday’s ceremony, Messi said that Benzema deserved his title. “Benzema really deserved it for the great season that he had and for the entirety of his career. He is a marvellous player. This reward is important for him and for football,” said the former Paris Saint-Germain forward, who now plays his club football at Inter Miami.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle