According to Zinedine Zidane, Karim Benzema is the ‘best striker in the history of French football.The Real Madrid striker was named the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday, beating out runner-up Sadio Mane and third-place finisher Kevin De Bruyne.
Benzema scored 44 goals for Real Madrid last season, helping the club win the Champions League and LaLiga.
What has Zinedine Zidane said about Karim Benzema?
Fellow France and Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane, who presented Benzema with the prestigious trophy at the event, has argued that the forward is the finest striker in his country’s history.
He told L’Equipe this week, “The best striker in the history of French football? Everyone has their favourite player. Some people will tell you it’s Jean-Pierre Papin with his exceptional goals, others will talk about Michel Platini”.
Zinedine Zidane said, “For me, it’s Karim, yes, because I’ve been around him and I know what he’s worth. In any case, he deserves to be very high. I wish him to continue for a long time to go for records and to shine on the field, with Real Madrid and with the French team. He is capable of going even higher”.
Zinedine Zidane was very open about Benzema’s struggles at Real Madrid, particularly when he was still a child. He said, “Despite the criticism and immense pressure at a club like this, he never gave up; he’s really strong. That’s what he admires about himself. He was never defeated. He let others speak for him, and his record and statistics speak for themselves now”.
Benzema stats at 2021-22 season
Karim has been a great performer at all levels, and his consistency has been outstanding. Last season, his squad was fantastic, and he was outstanding.
He was fantastic last season at this level. He scored a lot of goals towards the end of the game, in the final minute, and it has nothing to do with luck.
It’s a hallmark of a great player. Quarter-finals, semi-finals, round of 16. Benzema demonstrated that he could overthrow everything on his own. Benz became a legend at this club, he achieved incredible things there and will be remembered by people for a long time.
