Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema deserves to win the Ballon d’Or this year after helping to guide his team to the Champions League title, seven-time winner of the award Lionel Messi said on Monday.
Benzema had the best season of his 13-year career at Real, scoring 44 goals with 15 assists in all competitions as they won a La Liga-Champions League double. Benzema was also named the Champions League Player of the Season.
The 34-year-old topped the scoring charts in both competitions and netted hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the knockout stages to secure Real’s progress.
“There are no doubts, it’s very clear that Benzema had a spectacular year and ended up victorious in the Champions League,” PSG forward Messi said on Argentine television.
“He was fundamental in all the matches from the round of 16 onwards. I think there is no doubt this year.”
The Ballon d’Or will be presented on October 17.
Real Madrid’s victory over Liverpool gave them their 14th European Cup triumph -- twice as many as the next most successful team AC Milan.
Benzema’s hat-trick in the second leg eliminated PSG 3-2 on aggregate in the last 16. “The Real Madrid game killed us... We had a lot of hope,” Messi added.