Real Madrid’s Benzema needs final triumph to make Champions League his own

Benzema’s 49 goals in 52 games dwarfs Mohamed Salah’s 33 in 59

Real Madrid’s Rodrygo was asked on May 24 what was the best piece of advice he had been given by Karim Benzema, and he answered quickly: “To give him the ball”.

It has been a sensible strategy for Real Madrid, whose number nine will be the most dangerous player on the pitch in Saturday’s Champions League final against Liverpool and who has been arguably the finest player in the world all season.

Benzema’s 49 goals in 52 games dwarfs Mohamed Salah’s 33 in 59 while even Kylian Mbappe, whose rejection of Real Madrid has so dominated the early build-up to this final in Paris, is inferior, with 43 in 49.

If Real Madrid beat Liverpool to win a 14th European Cup, the expectation is Benzema will also beat the likes of Salah and Sadio Mane to win his first Ballon d’Or.

This season, Benzema has scored the most goals of his career for Real Madrid and the most of his career in the Champions League. He has become the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League and the most prolific French scorer in history.

If he scores two goals this weekend, he will equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League record of 17 goals, the most ever scored by one player in a single tournament.

Zinedine Zidane, whom Benzema described as like an older brother, said Benzema was “a gift to anyone who loves football”, “a total footballer” and “the best”.