Ballon d’Or
“I didn’t want to stop playing until I won the Ballon d’Or. I always believed in myself, I knew that at some point, with my qualities and my ambitions, I could win it. That’s why, for the last four years, I’ve been pushing and pushing to get this trophy.”
“I represent many youngsters, whether they are from neighbourhoods or not. So I’ve become an example for young people. With Zizou, we talked a bit about being exemplary and that every time we go out onto the pitch we think about everything around us and not just the ball.” he said when asked about becoming an example for youngsters after winning the Ballon d’Or.
Whilst they were teammates at Real Madrid for many years, when asked whether Cristiano Ronaldo had congratulated him on winning the Ballon d’Or, Benzema responded by saying “No, not yet”.
Injury problems
“I’m doing well, I’ve had a few minor problems. It’s normal after so many games. I’ll be fit to play with the national team. There’s no problem with that. I had muscular discomfort. I could play, but I don’t like to play when I’m not 100%. I have prepared well physically, there are no problems. I’ll be ready on the 22 November against Australia, but we’ll see if I’ll start (laughs).”
World Cup with France
“It’s a source of pride to represent France at the tournament. All the French players think the same thing: on paper we’re the best side (in Group D). We mustn’t hide because we have a lot of talent in this team. We are favourites like Spain or Argentina. Every match is a final, so you have to win every match. And then the closer we get, the more you can think: ‘We have to win’.”
