Sports

Lionel Messi advises Karim Benzema to win the “Deserved” Ballon d’Or


Real Madrid’s French star Karim Benezema deserves the Ballon d’Or, according to the seven-time winner Lionel Messi. Benzema played a key role in Madrid’s win in the Champions League this season, culminating in a 1-0 win over Liverpool in Paris on Saturday. Although he didn’t score in the final, Benzema’s hat-trick in the knockout round, which began with a 17-minute treble against Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain to turn the score over 2 -0, was crucial to creating the momentum that brought the Spaniard to the title.

“Without a doubt, it’s clear that Benzema had a spectacular year and ended it with the Champions League,” Messi told Argentina’s TyC Sports channel.

“He plays an important role from the round of 16 onwards in every game and I think there’s no doubt” that Benzema deserves the Ballon d’Or.

Messi was speaking a few days before the friendly against Italy at Wembley Stadium between the two continental champions.

The match between the South American Copa America and European champions, where many Argentines traced their roots, was called “Finalissima”.

But while Argentina qualified for the Qatar World Cup later this year with a handful of games left, Italy missed out dramatically after losing to North Macedonia in the playoffs.

“What happened to Italy is crazy, having won the Euros and not being at the World Cup, given the history of Italy in the World Cup,” he said.

“If Italy were in the World Cup, they would be one of the favorites. They were unlucky. No one would want to play against them.”

Having spent his entire career at Barcelona, ​​the 34-year-old moved to PSG a year ago where he has struggled to replicate his best form.

He admits it was “a difficult change” and that the first day he dropped off at school in Paris, he “crying”.

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Caught with Covid-19 at the end of 2021, Messi believes the virus has left a “scar” in his lungs while he also admits joining the Champions League with Real was “a difficult blow”.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from the syndication feed.)

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