Lionel Messi has spoken about Karim Benzema winning the 2022 Ballon d'Or after he failed to even get nominated for last year's edition.
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The Frenchman enjoyed a spectacular 2021/22 campaign before scooping up the prestigious accolade for the first time in his career, beating the likes of Sadio Mane and Kevin De Bruyne to the award.
Messi, meanwhile, was not even named among the 30 nominees for last year's Ballon d'Or following his difficult debut season at Paris Saint-Germain, with the prize now running in line with the regular European campaign and not with the calendar year.
The Argentine was supportive over Benzema's victory when asked about it at the time, and has again insisted the ex-Real Madrid talisman fully deserved the recognition.
"Benzema really deserved it for the great season that he had and for the entirety of his career," he said, according to L'Equipe.
"He is a marvellous player. This reward is important for him and for football."
Messi is considered a strong candidate to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or next week Monday, with Manchester City's Erling Haaland seen as his main challenger for his achievements in England last season.
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The Argentine, though, claimed the 2022 FIFA World Cup just before the halfway point of the previous campaign, leading many to believe he could be favoured by the journalists who get to cast a vote.
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