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Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is Karim Benzema’s biggest challenger for this year’s Ballon d’Or, according to Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry.
Benzema is enjoying the best season of his career in front of goal and has played a crucial role in Madrid’s run to the Champions League final, where Liverpool await on May 28.
The 34-year-old has scored 43 times and provided a further 14 assists in all competitions, with no other player across Europe’s top five leagues directly involved in more goals (57).
Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe are next on that list with 54 combined goals and assists each, while Mane lags some way behind on 23 for Liverpool – albeit having missed part of the season during the Africa Cup of Nations, which he won with Senegal.
Lewandowski, Mbappe and Anfield team-mate Mohamed Salah have been tipped to rival Benzema for football’s top individual award, but Henry believes Mane is better placed.
“To make the final even bigger, the two favourites for the Ballon d’Or are Mane and Benzema,” Henry told CBS Sports. “That will add an extra little spice into it.”
Mane played a direct part in five goals for Senegal at AFCON, aiding his cause to be crowned the world’s best player.
However, if the former Southampton forward is to have any chance of pipping Benzema to the accolade, Henry says he must win a clean sweep of trophies with Liverpool.
The Reds have already lifted the EFL Cup and are into the FA Cup and Champions League finals, but they trail Manchester City by a point with four Premier League games left.
“I still believe that Benzema is ahead, but if Mane wins [the Champions League] with Liverpool and they do make the quadruple, that is a pretty strong case,” Henry said.
“It would be great for Africa, but I’m still going for Benzema.”
Benzema finished fourth in the voting for last year’s Ballon d’Or, which was won by Lionel Messi for a record-extending seventh time.
Indeed, only one player other than Messi and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award since 2008, with Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric triumphing in 2018.
