Sport
Benzema Defends Vinicius and Questions Rodri’s Ballon d’Or Win
Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema believes Vinicius Jr. was the rightful winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Benzema, who has been a mentor to Vinicius during their years at Real Madrid, expressed disappointment that the Brazilian talent didn’t take home the trophy.
In the recent Ballon d’Or results, Vinicius finished as runner-up to Manchester City’s Rodri, who was awarded the prestigious title during a ceremony held in Paris, France.
However, the decision sparked controversy, leading Vinicius and his Real Madrid teammates to skip the event entirely, a silent protest over what they felt was an unjust outcome.
Benzema shared his views on the situation, explaining he had recently spoken with Vinicius, who was understandably disappointed by the result.
“I talked to Vini, and he’s down… which is normal,” Benzema remarked. “He deserved to be recognized as the best.”
The former Real Madrid forward also commented on Rodri’s victory, emphasizing that while he respects the Spanish midfielder, he believes Rodri’s style lacks the electrifying impact Vinicius brings to the game.
Benzema candidly stated, “Rodri is a good player, but I’m watching from home, and there’s nothing in his game that makes you go ‘wow.’”
This year’s Ballon d’Or decision has sparked a wider conversation about how players are evaluated for the prestigious award and whether the voting system accurately reflects the skills and achievements of top talents.
Nigerian player Frank Onyeka speaks on the recent match of the Super Eagles against Tunisia and shares what made the difference in our victory at AFCON 2025.
While interviewed, the player stated “I think our game plan worked really well. The way we pressed them high didn’t give them any chance to play, so that is what made the difference.”
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
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