Ferdinand: “They should already be writing Karim Benzema’s name on the next Ballon d’Or”

Manchester United and England legend Rio Ferdinand praised Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema after netting a hat trick against Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday in a post-match discussion on BT Sport.

“They should already be writing Karim Benzema’s name on the next Ballon d’Or. “This is the business end and he keeps scoring. He’s taken Real Madrid top of the league [in LaLiga]. They are flying and he is the talisman.”

“When Cristiano Ronaldo was there, he had the humility to sit in the background because he knew what the team needed, but now he’s come out of the shadows.

“He’s 34 and he’s the best No.9 in the world. He’s on another level. He has goals, assists, link-up play, he can slow the game down.”

Benzema continues to make history with the club in his mid-30s. He leads LaLiga with 24 goals scored and 11 assists contributed on the season.

He is certainly making a case for the season MVP as he had many key moments for the club and a big reason they lead LaLiga and are going far in the Champions League.