"He's a legend" - Lucas Hernandez picks his Ballon d'Or 2022 winner 

Lucas Hernandez has picked his French teammate Karim Benzema for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. The forward is considered by many to be the favorite for the prestigious individual award.

When asked about his pick for the award, Lucas Hernandez did not hesitate in picking the current Real Madrid striker. The Bayern Munich full-back was quoted as saying the following (via Telefoot on Twitter):

"He lifted that cup with the big ears five times. It's unbelievable, he's a legend at Real and here in France. The Ballon d'Or? I think there's no doubt about that."

Both Karim Benzema and Lucas Hernandez are currently involved in international duties with France.

The duo were part of the side that suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Denmark in their opening game of the UEFA Nations League. Benzema, however, did score the opening goal of the game.

Karim Benzema's outstanding season with Real Madrid makes him a front-runner for the 2022 Ballon d'Or.

The former Olympique Lyonnais forward scored 44 goals in 46 appearances for Los Blancos across all competitions as they secured a league and Champions League double under Carlo Ancelotti.

Benzema scored vital goals for Real Madrid over the course of the season. He netted consecutive hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea in the Champions League in the Round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively.

The 34-year-old ended the campaign as the Champions League's highest goalscorer with 15 goals from 12 matches.

It is worth mentioning that the Frenchman has never finished in the top three in the race for the Ballon d'Or. He finished fourth last year behind Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho.

If Karim Benzema wins the award, he will become the first Frenchman since Zinedine Zidane in 1998 to win the prestigious "Golden Ball."

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Who are the other candidates for the 2022 Ballon d'Or?

Karim Benzema is considered the favorite for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. However, there are many other good candidates for the award this year as well.

They include the Liverpool duo of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. The Reds won two domestic cups during the 2021-22 season.

Mane, meanwhile, also attained international success with Senegal, winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier this year.

Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski is also another name always in the conversation for the award. The Polish forward scored 50 goals in 46 appearances for the Bundesliga giants during the 2021-22 season.