Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes that the Ballon d’Or for 2022 is Karim Benzema‘s to lose.
After watching the Frenchman score a second straight Champions League hat-trick, this time at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, Ferdinand was left in awe of the Real Madrid forward.
“They should already be writing Karim Benzema‘s name on the next Ballon d’Or,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
Real Madrid’s talisman
Ferdinand is head over heels with the way that Benzema has evolved in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era at Real Madrid, and the Englishman’s praise kept coming.
“This is the business end and he keeps scoring,” Ferdinand said of Benzema.
“He’s taken Real Madrid top of the league [in LaLiga Santander]. They are flying and he is the talisman.
“When Cristiano Ronaldo was there, he had the humility to sit in the background because he knew what the team needed, but now he’s come out of the shadows.
“He’s 34 and he’s the best No.9 in the world. He’s on another level.
“He has goals, assists, link-up play, he can slow the game down…”
Marca
