(Football news) Karim Benzema has been at the centre of the Real Madrid side for over a decade now. Every single manager that has been in charge of Real Madrid has always had full faith in the Frenchman. It did take some time for fans to notice his brilliance as when playing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, Benzema always adapted according to their style.

Benzema would often play second fiddle to Ronaldo but after the Portuguese left Madrid, he became the main man. This season alone Karim Benzema has 12 goals and 8 assists in all competitions and was unsurprisingly a part of 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist. There is a high chance that he may end up in the top 3 as well. His biggest rival is Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho.

Also read: France comeback from a goal down to defeat Spain in the UEFA Nations League final

Karim Benzema has 33 goals and 14 assists in 47 games in 2021. The 33 year old almost single handedly carried Real Madrid to the UCL Semi final and also led them to a 2nd place La Liga finish, just 3 points behind Atlético Madrid. Benzema also scored 4 goals with his national team in the Euro 2021 as France were knocked out in the Round of 16.

He then scored another 2 goals in the UEfA Nations League which France won. Benzema has had a massive impact on both France and Real Madrid this year. He has taken up the responsibility as a leader and thrived upon it. The only thing that can stop Benzema from winning the Ballon d'Or is the lack of team trophies. The situation would've been totally different if Real Madrid had won the La Liga.

The Ballon d'Or will be presented on 29th November in Paris and Benzema is definitely a candidate for the award. Whether he wins it or not remains to be seen.