If we’re talking about who is the best player in the world at the moment, then there’s simply no denying that it’s Karim Benzema. He’s become the face of Real Madrid since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure and has stepped up in every department ever since to win matches.
The 33-year-old is in the form of his life and is showing no signs of slowing down despite his age. Like a fine wine, Karim Benzema continues to get better every passing day.
While Marco Asensio deservedly stole the headlines last night with his incredible hattrick against his former side, Benzema was once again on the scoresheet with two magnificent goals and an assist to his name as well.
So much so, Karim Benzema’s name on the scoresheet has almost become an inevitable phenomenon for Real Madrid. Given, the 33-year-old’s current form, I cannot help but contemplate that this could be Benzema’s season to get his hands on the prestigious award, the Ballon d’Or.
The last time a Blanco won the Ballon d’Or was in 2018 when Luka Modric was named the winner ahead of the former all-time club top-scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo. Since Modric’s win, no player from Blancos has made it into the podium of the Ballon d’Or. The best ranking since Modric’s win has been Eden Hazard’s who finished 13th in the 2019 rankings, however, his ranking was adjudged on his performances with Chelsea from the previous season.
It’s been a while since the Ballon d’Or has returned to Santiago Bernabeu and this time Karim Benzema could be the one to bring home the esteemed individual award.
In light of it, let’s have a look at a couple of reasons why Karim Benzema could end up winning his first-ever Ballon d’Or and cement his legacy as not only one of Real Madrid’s greatest strikers but one of the world’s best-ever strikers.
CLEAR FAVOURITE FOR THE PICHICHI AWARD
We’re all living in Karim Benzema’s world, whatever he touches these days simply turns to gold. He’s that good and there’s no stopping Benzema anytime soon.
Following his sensational brace against RCD Mallorca, the 33-year-old now has eight goals in seven games in La Liga. Who would have thought that Karim Benzema would turn out to be such a goal menace after the 2017/18 season where he really struggled.
Most fans, including myself, wanted Benzema out back then, but he’s made everyone eat their words as he continues to drop a masterclass performance every passing game.
Coming back to the Pichichi, with Lionel Messi now plying his trade in France, it was quite obvious that Benzema would be the clear favourite for the award. While predictions were made early on him being the favourite, Benzema has delivered time and again this season with eight goals already to his name.
The 33-year-old has now scored 200 goals in Spain’s top-flight league and could end up scoring 30 league goals by the end of the season if he continues the same way.
There is simply no one as good as Benzema at the moment in La Liga, making him the clear favourite to win his first-ever Pichichi award that could go a long way in helping him win the Balon d’Or as well.
KARIM BENZEMA IS NOT JUST A GOAL-SCORER
Strikers are more often judged on the number of goals they score as that is the primary objective for a striker. But Karim Benzema is not your conventional number 9 who just scores goals. Yes, he scores goals and a lot of them but he always contributes a lot towards the team that often goes under the radar.
But this season, it seems like more and more people are getting to know what exactly Karim Benzema brings to this Real Madrid side and what he has been bringing to the table for the past seasons that have gone unnoticed.
So far, the 33-year-old has seven assists in seven appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos. He has contributed to 15 goals in just seven games with eight goals scored and seven that have been set up for his teammates. He’s basically contributing towards a goal every 35 minutes which is simply outstanding.
Keep in mind, Madrid have scored 21 goals in six games and 15 of those goals are from Karim Benzema’s contribution. He’s currently La Liga’s top scorer while also leading the charts on the number of assists.
If Karim Benzema continues scoring and assisting at this rate, he’s simply going to build a strong case to win the 2021-22 Ballon d’Or. As you already know, the Ballon d’Or is a marketable award and stats such as assists and goals go a long way, if Benzema keeps going then there’s no stopping him from winning the award.
REAL MADRID LOOK DETERMINED TO WIN TROPHIES
After a trophyless season under Zinedine Zidane last year, Real Madrid have bounced back like never before after starting the 2021-22 campaign on a high with Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian has inherited a depleted side following Sergio Ramos’ and Raphael Varane’s departures and the failed transfer of Kylian Mbappe but has still lived up to his promise of delivering beautiful attacking football that had almost become non-existent in the previous years.
At this stage of the season, Carlo Ancelotti tactics have paid off with Real Madrid scoring 21 goals in six La Liga games, averaging 3.5 goals per game in the Spanish top-flight. This is also the highest-scoring side since the 1987-88 season.
The Italian has managed to turn around the squad with Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema firing all cylinders. Players such as Isco and Marco Asensio have also looked sharp, with the former scoring a goal against RCD Mallorca and the latter scoring a hattrick.
Real Madrid almost look like an unbeatable team at this moment and Carlo Ancelotti could certainly guide them to silverware. A domestic double looks within sight and if it’s achieved then Karim Benzema will be the clear favourite to the Ballon d’Or.
As much as individual stats are important for the award, collective trophies go a long way too. A domestic double coupled with tons of goals and assists will ensure that Karim Benzema is a clear candidate for the award and could even be in the driving seat to win it.
If the football gods are fair, then Karim Benzema deserves to win at least one Ballon d’Or before he retires. This might just be his season to win it.