Benzema needs final triumph to make Champions League his own

When Real Madrid’s Rodrygo was asked on Tuesday what the best piece of advice Karim Benzema has given him, he replied quickly: “Give him the ball.”

It’s been a wise approach for Real Madrid, whose number nine, who has been probably the best player in the world all season, will be the most dangerous player on the pitch in Saturday’s Champions League final versus Liverpool.

Even Kylian Mbappe, whose rejection of Real Madrid has dominated the early build-up to Sunday’s final in Paris, is inferior with 43 goals in 49 appearances.

If Real Madrid defeats Liverpool to win their 14th European Cup, Benzema is expected to beat out Salah and Sadio Mane for his first Ballon d’Or.

Benzema has the most goals of his career for Real Madrid this season, as well as the most in the Champions League. He has become the most prolific French scorer in history and the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League.

He will tie Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League record of 17 goals if he scores two goals this weekend.

Benzema’s older brother, Zinedine Zidane, hailed him as “a gift to anybody who loves football,” “a total footballer,” and “the finest.”

Former Ballon d’Or winner Jean-Pierre Papin once said: “Benzema has the power of Ronaldo, the speed of Ronaldinho, the class of Henry and the instinct of David Trezeguet.”

“We always look for him,” said Rodrygo. “He’s phenomenal.”

It may seem impossible to score twice against Liverpool in a final, but who would put it beyond Benzema in this form?

Spectacular heights

He has ten goals in the knockout stages, including a hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain, a hat-trick against Chelsea, and a brace against Manchester City, rattling the strongest opponents.

“Madrid won because they have Benzema and Chelsea don’t,” wrote the Madrid newspaper AS after the quarter-final. “The reality is nobody has Benzema, who plays six different positions, often in the same move.”

It was impossible not to wonder whether Benzema breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday, while Real Madrid was still reeling from Mbappe’s choice and the finger-pointing and blaming began.

After all, Benzema has thrived in the absence of Ronaldo, the added responsibility and importance igniting something in the Frenchman that has spurred him to fill the hole, to such amazing heights.

“He is a player who feels more and more like a leader every day, he feels more important in the team,” said Carlo Ancelotti. “This is what makes the difference in him, this personality.”

For many years, it was supposed that Benzema was underappreciated, that he was a player who would always be revered at Real Madrid but would never be universally regarded as one of the game’s most lethal attackers.

His status as Ronaldo’s right-hand man and a six-year absence from the French national squad, including the World Cup victory in 2018, were key factors.

But there has never been a Benzema-owned title, a tournament he created in such a way that it would always be connected with him. It would be a trophy that would elevate him and cement his place among the elite.

With four La Liga championships, two Copa del Reys, four Club World Cups, and three European Super Cups under his belt, Benzema is seeking to win his fifth Champions League in eight years at the Stade de France. He also won the Pichichi Trophy after finishing as La Liga’s top scorer this season.

Despite all of Benzema’s awards, accolades received or missed, and impressive achievements thus far, this Champions League final could be different. It would be a trophy that belonged to Real Madrid, but it would be his victory more than anybody else’s.