Benzema holds same opinion on Ballon d’Or as Ronaldo and Messi

Karim Benzema continued his great season with two goals for Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City.

The French attacker increased his season total to 41 with a well-taken left-footed volley before performing a ‘Panenka’ penalty to keep his side in the contest.

This happened after City won 4-3 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to goals from Kevin de Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva, as well as Vinicius Junior.

It has been a remarkable season for the 34-year-old, who is currently the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League, and he might be in the race for a number of trophies at the conclusion of the season.

Another award Benzema could be up for is the Ballon d’Or, which has been won in the last 12 years by Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric is the sole exception, having led Croatia to the World Cup final and earned a number of significant awards in the same season.

When asked about the trophy in October, Benzema confessed that winning the Ballon d’Or is an “ambition” of his and that he has the same ambitions as Messi and Ronaldo.

“When we have ambition, we have to think about it,” he remarked of the Ballon d’Or.

“However, it does not have to be an obsession that refocuses you on yourself, on stating that you must shine separately and score goals for yourself.”

“If you have to win, it has to be for who you are, what you show on the pitch, and what I do.”

“This is due to the fact that for the past ten, twelve years, the only players were Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.”

“They were at such a high height that no one could bother them. The circumstances have shifted. Many players have displayed their skills without going overboard”, he added.

Ronaldo earlier stated the same thing about winning the Ballon d’Or in 2018, saying: “I’ve said it before and will say it again: winning a sixth Ballon d’Or is not an obsession.”

“And I’m not asking the question in these words.”

“In my heart, I already know that I am one of the greatest players in history. Of course, I’d like to win the sixth Ballon d’Or!”

“Telling you otherwise would be a lie. That is why I work. As I attempt to score goals and win games without being obsessed with it. Yes, I believe I am deserving of the Ballon d’Or.”

Meanwhile, Messi confirmed in 2013 that it isn’t an ‘obsession.’

He stated: “I’d like to win the trophy a few more times, but it’s not an obsession of mine. At least not for the time being. I want to live in the now. In a few months, we’ll see what happens.”