Benzema: I contacted Vinícius; he is very upset. He should be the best candidate for the Ballon d'Or

At the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony, the various awards were announced one by one. Among them, Real Madrid forward Vinícius missed out on the Ballon d'Or. In response, Real Madrid legend Benzema spoke about Vinícius during an interview with Telecinco in Spain.

Benzema said: "I don’t want to discuss topics about French football or France. I’ve said before that, not only this year, but every year since I joined Real Madrid, Vinícius has put in a tremendous amount of effort. His contributions go far beyond scoring goals; he played a crucial role in every match last season when Real Madrid won the Champions League. In my view, Vinícius is the best candidate for the Ballon d'Or."

After expressing his support for Vinícius, Benzema also mentioned Rodrygo, stating that he has no objections to him and believes he is also outstanding. However, Benzema further explained why Vinícius deserves the Ballon d'Or more: "I often watch TV at home, but it’s rare that I see a performance that truly amazes me. Yet Vinícius has repeatedly left me astonished. He is undoubtedly more deserving of the Ballon d'Or."

Additionally, Benzema revealed how he comforted Vinícius: "I wrote him a letter and called him. He was feeling down, which is natural. When everyone believes you are the Ballon d'Or winner, but you find out at the last moment that you've missed out, the emotions are complex. But he's a good kid, and he will keep working hard. I believe he will eventually win that honor."