‘I’m not far from it’ – Benzema hoping to follow Ronaldo & Zidane footsteps by winning Ballon d’Or

Real Madrid star forward Karim Benzema says he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his idols Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane by winning this year’s Ballon d’Or.

The 33-year-old Frenchman is among the nominees for the award this year following his impressive performances over the course of 2021.

Benzema finished as the second top scorer in La Liga last season and currently leads the goals and assist charts in La Liga this season.

“Win the Ballon d’Or? Yes, that would be one of the many dreams I have had since childhood,” he told Canal+. “Of course I dreamed of it as a kid.

“My idols, whether it’s R9 [Ronaldo] or Zizou [Zidane], they came to Real Madrid and won the Ballon d’Or. And that’s one of the little things I think about. Today, I’m not far from it.”

Former Real Madrid manager and France legend Zidane believes Benzema should win the award.

“We are talking about a player who deserves to win this Ballon d’Or,” Zidane told Telefoot.

“He’s an incredible player, I had the great honor of coaching him. He associates easily with others. He knows how to do everything in the field. I hope he can be rewarded with this Ballon d’Or.”

The Ballon d’Or ceremony will hold in Paris on 29 November.