Karim Benzema's Favorite To Win The Ballon D'Or Compared To Sadio Mane, Thierry Henry: Opportunities Will Be Stronger If Madrid Win The Champions League

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema. (Photo: Instagram @karimbenzema)

JAKARTA - French football legend Thierry Henry assesses the chances of Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane winning the Ballon d'Or. That's after Liverpool and Real Madrid met in this season's Champions League final.

Liverpool and Madrid booked their place in the final in Paris after eliminating Villarreal and Manchester City, respectively. Jurgen Klopp's squad qualified 5-2 on aggregate, while El Real got a ticket to the final after winning 6-5.

"The two favorites for the Ballon d'Or are Mane and Benzema. So that [European Champions League final] will add a little extra spice to it," Henry said as quoted by Give Me Sport, Thursday 5 May.

So far, Benzema is still at the top of the top scorer list after scoring a goal against City. The France international has 15 goals or is ahead of Robert Lewandowski in second place with 13 goals.

The number of goals recorded by Benzema is actually quite far from those recorded by Sadio Mane. The Senegal international has only scored five goals so far.

Henry said that Benzema's achievement was extraordinary so it is not surprising that his compatriot won the Ballon d'Or. He added that Benzema's chances would be even greater if he led Madrid to the championship.

"I still believe that Benzema is ahead, but if Mane wins the Champions League with Liverpool and they also have the chance to win four titles this season, then that's a pretty strong case. But I still support Benzema," Henry said.

In addition to being the top scorer in the European Champions League, Benzema has also established himself as the top scorer in Spanish La Liga this season with 26 goals. That number has barely been overtaken by other players in the remaining four games this season.

The 34-year-old player even has the opportunity to add to his goal coffers. Previously, Benzema also helped Madrid win La Liga this season as they snatched the 35th trophy in the club's history.