Rio Ferdinand has named his Ballon d’Or winner, and he believes Liverpool’s Mo Salah will be overlooked.
MOHAMED SALAH has been outstanding for Liverpool this season, but Rio Ferdinand believes he should not win the Ballon d’Or.
Despite the defeat, the striker scored a brace in Real Madrid’s 4-3 loss to Manchester City on Tuesday night, making it another memorable night for the Frenchman. In the first half, with his team trailing 2-0, Benzema tucked home a volley to give them hope.
Then, after being ruled to have handled the ball inside the penalty box, Aymeric Laporte ludicrously chipped the ball down the middle late in the game to make it 4-3. And it was because of that performance that Ferdinand stated that he believes the 34-year-old should win the Ballon d’Or.
Mesut Ozil, a former Arsenal midfielder, initially tweeted: “What a terrific game. Give the Ballon d’Or to my friend Benzi.” Ferdinand responded by tweeting the message with the simple word, “Facts.”
Despite the defeat, the striker scored a brace in Real Madrid’s 4-3 loss to Manchester City on Tuesday night, making it another memorable night for the Frenchman. In the first half, with his team trailing 2-0, Benzema tucked home a volley to give them hope.
Then, after being ruled to have handled the ball inside the penalty box, Aymeric Laporte ludicrously chipped the ball down the middle late in the game to make it 4-3. And it was because of that performance that Ferdinand stated that he believes the 34-year-old should win the Ballon d’Or.
Mesut Ozil, a former Arsenal midfielder, initially tweeted: “What a terrific game. Give the Ballon d’Or to my friend Benzi.” Ferdinand responded by tweeting the message with the simple word, “Facts.”
The former Lyon striker is undoubtedly having the best season of his career, and winning the world’s most prestigious individual award would certainly put the icing on the cake. However, coming from behind to defeat Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final is unquestionably more important. Salah is also a legitimate candidate for the honor, especially given the Reds’ chances of capturing the quadruple this season.
Ferdinand has frequently lauded Benzema, and he previously revealed that the striker caused him a lot of problems as a player even when he was only emerging as a great talent. “The first time I played against him was in 2008, and that was the first time I saw him up close and personal,” he told BT Sport.
“Look at how many guys are surrounding him in the goal he scored against us, but all he needed was one touch, it was all one action.” I remember coming off the field and Sir Alex Ferguson told me, ‘don’t worry, I’m trying to get him.’ But I believe Zidane selected Real Madrid because of his African links. Looking back, Sir Alex, I believe he will be one of the guys who is most disappointed that he did not go.”
