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Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane backs Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to win Ballon d'Or 2022

Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane explains why Real Madrid icon Karim Benzema deserves to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or trophy this year.

football Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane backs Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to win Ballon d'Or 2022 snt
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First Published Oct 6, 2022, 8:12 PM IST

Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane has joined the chorus of people advocating for Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to be awarded the Ballon d'Or 2022. The former Liverpool star's comments came a few days after Los Blancos' President Florentino Perez had predicted that the Frenchman would undoubtedly clinch the prestigious trophy.

Speaking to the Diario AS after Bayern Munich's 5-0 Champions League victory over Viktoria Plzen, Mane explained that he thought it should be a comfortable victory for Benzema.

Also read: Will Karim Benzema win Ballon d'Or 2022? Real Madrid's Florentino Perez give ultimate response

"Honestly, I think that Benzema deserves, by a distance, to win the Ballon d'Or this year. And I am very happy for him. His season with Madrid was spectacular, ending up winning the Champions League.," the Senegal international stated.

football Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane backs Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to win Ballon d'Or 2022 snt

Mane, one of the nominees for Ballon d'Or 2022, was also asked about his chances of winning the coveted honour, given that he bagged the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

"Winning the African Cup of Nations was an absolute liberation for me and for the whole country. It's something I am enormously proud of, but I insist. I think Benzema deserves it more. I say so sincerely," Mane added.

Also read: Real Madrid star Karim Benzema breaks his silence on this year's Ballon d'Or hopes

Liverpool and Real Madrid clashed in last year's Champions League final at the Stade de France, and it was a fine performance from Los Blancos' Thibaut Courtois that kept Mane from scoring and potentially changing the course of the match.

However, Benzema was crucial to Real Madrid's success in each round of the knockout stages on the path to the championship game. The French superstar scored 44 goals from 46 games across all competitions, making him a firm favourite. The Ballon d'Or often favours competition champions, and Benzema won his two most significant awards.

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