Karim Benzema spoke about his ambitions of winning the Ballon d’Or after being selected on the 30-man shortlist for the 2021 award season. For the prestigious award, the France international is one of the frontrunners following a fantastic start to the 2021/22 season.

In just eight La Liga games of the season, Benzema has nine goals and seven assists, propelling Real Madrid to the top of the table, and he scored a crucial goal in France’s UEFA Nations League semi-final victory on Thursday evening. Speaking to the press ahead of Sunday’s Nations League final football match, Benzema stated that he’s dreamt of winning the Ballon d’Or since he was a child according to France 24.

“I’ve been dreaming of winning it since I was a kid, we all do, all professional players,” he said. “So I’ve been doing everything possible and will continue to do so because I hope to win it and fulfil my childhood dream. What is important is that people enjoy my football and that I feel happy and proud. There are strikers these days playing very well into their 30s and scoring many goals. Modern football allows for that.”

“It’s always a pleasure to be named on this list of the top 30 players, and I’ll keep it in my a corner of my mind as an objective in the big matches.” The forward also took time to preview the match against Spain, predicting a ‘big’ game at San Siro. “I’m sure it’ll be a huge final. Spain is a young team, but a very talented one. I just hope above all that it’s a great game.”