May 30, 2022, will be remembered as a day when Real Madrid's Karim Benzema received a significant endorsement for the Ballon d'Or award from none other than seven-time winner Lionel Messi.
Real Madrid's French striker Karim Benzema had a remarkable season, scoring 44 goals with 15 assists in all competitions as his team won a LaLiga-Champions League double.
"There are no doubts, it's very clear that Benzema had a spectacular year and ended up victorious in the Champions League," PSG forward Messi said on Argentine television.
With Benzema topping the scoring charts in both competitions and netting hat-tricks against Paris St Germain and Chelsea in the knockout stages, his case for the Ballon d'Or award seems strong.
The prestigious trophy will now be awarded on the basis of a regular season from August to July rather than a calendar year.
Real Madrid's victory over Liverpool gave them their 14th European Cup triumph - twice as many as the next most successful team AC Milan.
