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Vinicius Jr has backed Real Madrid's Karim Benzema to win the Ballon d'Or this year. The Brazilian feels his teammate deserves the award as he has performed brilliantly this year.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony is just over a week away and Benzema is on the list of favorites. Speaking with Cadena SER's El Larguero, Vinicius Jr threw his weight behind his teammate in the Ballon d'Or race.
"Now I've played more time with Benzema and we know each other way better, he's a great, great player and he always helps me. I want to help him score many goals this season and I hope he can win the Ballon d'Or."
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20-time tennis Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal also revealed he would have voted for Benzema if he had a chance.
"My admiration as a player, the commitment to sport and professionalism at his age. Good luck and my support for the 2021 golden ball, Benzema."
Former Real Madrid player and manager Zinedine Zidane also joined Team Benzema last month.
"We are talking about a player who deserves to win this Ballon d'Or. He's an incredible player, I had the great honour of coaching him. He associates easily with others. He knows how to do everything in the field. I hope he can be rewarded with this Ballon d'Or," Zidane said.
Benzema has scored 14 goals and provided eight assists in just 16 games for Real Madrid in all competitions this season.
"I dreamed of it as a kid" - Karim Benzema on Ballon d'Or aspirations
Winning the Ballon d'Or is a goal for most footballers, and Karim Benzema is no different. The Frenchman revealed he has dreamt of lifting the coveted award ever since he was a kid.
"Win the Ballon d'Or? Yes, that would be one of the many dreams I have had since childhood. Of course I dreamed of it as a kid. My idols, whether it's R9 [Ronaldo] or Zizou [Zidane]. They came to Real Madrid and won the Ballon d'Or. And that's one of the little things I think about. Today, I'm not far from it," Benzema said.
Jorginho, Lionel Messi, and Robert Lewandowski are among the other front-runners for the Ballon d'Or at the moment.
