James Rodriguez, a former great player for Real Madrid who is now playing for Al-Rayyan, has indicated that he believes Karim Benzema will be the most likely winner of the Ballon d’Or award in 2022.
The following is what the Colombian assailant revealed to the Spanish television program El Chiringuito (via BolaVIP):
“Without a shadow of a doubt, Karim Benzema should be awarded the Ballon d’Or. He is unrivalled as a striker anywhere in the world.”
It is important to point out that James Rodriguez has, throughout the course of his career, garnered nominations for a handful of different instances of the renowned individual accolade. In the final standings for the Ballon d’Or in 2014, he came in ninth. This came about as a direct result of his outstanding performance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
With six goals during the World Cup, Rodriguez finished the competition with the most goals scored overall. He led Colombia to the quarterfinals of the tournament when they faced the country that was hosting the competition and ultimately lost. After the tournament, Real Madrid made the decision to sign Rodriguez to a lucrative contract.
The 30-person shortlist for the ceremony that will take place in Paris on October 17, 2022, has already been made public by French Football, which will host the event. There have been a few prominent players who are not part of the nomination. These players include Lionel Messi, a seven-time champion, and Neymar Jr., a colleague of Messi’s at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
James Rodriguez chooses Karim Benzema as the Ballon d’Or winner this season
Because of his outstanding performance throughout the 2021–22 season with Real Madrid, Karim Benzema is the clear favorite to win the Ballon d’Or in 2022. The Frenchman led Los Blancos to a double crown in the previous campaign, winning both La Liga and the Champions League.
Benzema finished the previous campaign as Real Madrid’s leading goalscorer thanks to his excellent play and overall performance. The attacker made 46 appearances in all competitions and scored 44 goals while also dishing out 15 assists.
In the UEFA Champions League, Benzema was responsible for 15 goals scored. In the knockout rounds of the competition, he scored hat tricks against both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
