‘No doubt Karim Benzema should win 2022 Ballon d’Or’ says Real Madrid team-mate Eden Hazard

Benzema was the top goalscorer in La Liga with 27 goals from 32 games and registered a goal or assist every 89 minutes in the Champions League, which included hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

He became Real Madrid’s joint-second highest goalscorer, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo who leads the way on 405 goals to Benzema’s and Raul’s 323.

“I think he [Benzema] deserves to win the Ballon d’Or,” Hazard told ESPN. “There’s no doubt about it.

“But I think he deserves it not just for that season, but for his whole career. It’s like he’s been at the top for 15 years. Maybe he’s scoring more goals, which is why people just want him to win this Ballon d’Or, but I think he deserved it before, like five years ago.

“He’s our captain now and he’s also like, a really good guy. He’s not talking that much on the pitch, doing what he wants. He’s our leader. So we just pushed him to go for the Ballon d’Or.”

Perez trusts Benzema’s ability to find the back of the net so much, that he informed Real Madrid to not to pursue Erling Haaland, who has joined Manchester City, earlier this summer.

“This moment is incompatible with Haaland,” said Perez.

“We were not going to recruit him to put him on the bench. One day a replacement for Benzema will come. But it won’t be to sit on the bench.”

Should Benzema win the Ballon d’Or, he will become the fourth French player to do so, joining Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane.

The results of the Ballon d’Or will be based on results of a season rather than a calendar year for the first time in the history of the award.

The nominees will be announced on August 12, with the ceremony taking place on October 17 in Paris.