Karim Benzema says Vinicius Junior will win the Ballon d'Or in the near future.
The Brazilian striker missed out on the prestigious award last year, with the award being presented to Manchester City midfielder Rodri instead.
The move sparked a backlash from Vinicius and Real Madrid, who opted to skip the match altogether.
Benzema, who left Real for Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia in 2023, attended Real Madrid's recent Spanish Super Cup win against Mallorca in Jeddah and met the club earlier in the day.
Speaking to Marca, Benzema said: “I told Vinicius not to be careful. He should not reduce his intensity because he is the best in the world and one day he will win the Ballon d'Or.”
Although he missed out on the major award, Vinicius was awarded FIFA's Men's Best' award last month.
🤩 A very special visit in Jeddah.
👉 @Benzema# Super super cup pic.twitter.com/z5JfwNZHE7— Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 9 2025
Life in Saudi
Benzema has been living happily in Saudi Arabia since leaving Madrid.
The French striker is enjoying success with Al Ittihad, who are ahead of Al-Hilal at the top of the table. The 37-year-old has scored 10 goals in 10 games.
Responding to rumors that he will retire at the end of the season, Benzema said: “I don't know whose words they are. came in. I have no limits. two years I can say that in three or four years I will leave football.
“I'm feeling good. My body is good. I'm training well and you'll see how I feel every year.”
“I want to keep winning.
“In my head, I want a trophy with Al Ittihad. It's tough because the levels have improved a lot and the teams are better than ever. Nothing has worked, so we will continue to work.”
He seems happy in Saudi and when asked about a possible return to Madrid in the future, Benzema left the door open, saying: “Why not? I am now in Jeddah and I am happy. The time will come when I will know what my life is like. I will definitely stay close to Madrid.”