Karim Benzema says Vinicius Junior will win the Ballon d’Or in the near future.
The Brazilian forward narrowly missed out on the prestigious award last year, with the trophy going to Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
The move drew severe backlash from Vinicius and Real Madrid, who chose to skip the event altogether.
Benzema, who left Real Madrid for Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia in 2023, watched Madrid’s recent Spanish Super Cup win against Mallorca in Jeddah and met with the squad earlier in the day.
Speaking to Marca, Benzema said: “I told (Vinicius) not to pay any attention. He must not lower his intensity, because he is the best in the world and one day he will win the Ballon d’Or.”
While he may have missed out on the top prize, Vinicius was awarded FIFA Men’s ‘The Best’ award last month.
🤩 A very special visit to Jeddah!
👉 @Benzema#SuperSupercopa pic.twitter.com/z5JfwNZHE7— Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 9, 2025
Life in Saudi Arabia
Benzema has been enjoying life in Saudi Arabia since leaving Madrid.
The French striker is thriving with Al Ittihad, who sit top of the table ahead of Al Hilal. The 37-year-old has scored 10 goals in 10 appearances along the way.
Responding to rumors that he could retire at the end of the season, Benzema said: “I don’t know whose words they are. Nonsense. I have no limit, to be able to say that in two, three or four years, I will leave football.
“I feel good. My body is fine. I’m training well and we’ll see how I feel every year.”
“I want to keep winning.
“In my mind, I want to win a trophy with Al Ittihad. It is difficult because the level has improved a lot and the teams are strong, better than before. We will continue to work, because we haven’t won anything yet.”
While appearing happy in Saudi Arabia, when asked about a possible return to Madrid in the future, Benzema left the door open, adding: “Why not? I am in Jeddah now and I am happy. The time will come to see how my life is and I will definitely be close to Madrid.”
