Few people expected Real Madrid to retain their level of success of the last decade after the departure of key stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, etc. However, the Merengues have won two UEFA Champions League and La Liga doubles in the last three years, showcasing the club’s ability to remain at the top of European football.
Undoubtedly, it was Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure that left the most significant impact on Los Blancos, as he was arguably the best player in the world at that time. Filling the gap left by his departure seemed to be an impossible task, even for a club as well run as Real Madrid.
However, fortunately, other attackers in the team were able to take up the mantle of being the team’s star attacker, and in the 2022 campaign, when the Blancos won the UCL and La Liga double, it was Karim Benzema who took most of the attacking burden on his shoulders.
That season made the French striker a Real Madrid legend in every sense of the word, even though a majority of fans would agree that he had already achieved that status with his longevity and previous performances with the club.
After that stellar campaign, Benzema won his first and only Ballon d’Or, after having seen Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi get this award for most of his career.
The Frenchman recently appeared in an interview with MARCA, and this achievement was remembered in this interaction. A question ensued about whom he sees as the most likely winner of this award this year. The Frenchman put his weight behind one of his former Real Madrid teammates:
“Ballon d’Or? I’m going to say Vini because he deserves it for his season, and not just for what he’s done this year, but also for the previous one. He was outstanding with his football and what he does with the ball. He’s a complete player.”
“He can win a match by himself, of course with the help of his teammates, but he’s very good when Real Madrid needs him, and that’s why I think he deserves it. He’s always there and shows up. For all these reasons, my favorite is Vini.”
Several Real Madrid players are among the favorites to win the award this year, including Vinicius Junior, who has been labeled as ‘influential’ by Carlo Ancelotti, as well as Dani Carvajal and Jude Bellingham.
All of them had an amazing season with the Merengue club, and while the Copa America campaign of was rather underwhelming, Bellingham and Carvajal got to the final of the UEFA EURO 2024, with the latter winning the competition.
But as he himself made clear, Benzema would prefer Vinicius to win this award, and this might also be the case with most Real Madrid fans in general.
