Only the English Premier League’s finest stand in the way of Karim Benzema and a deserved Ballon d’Or award

These days, Karim Benzema stops at nothing to be the best football player in the world.

Everything he touches seems to turn into gold. Last Tuesday he was responsible for keeping Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final as Manchester City threatened to run riot in what ultimately ended up being a retrievable 4-3 reverse for the Frenchman and his teammates. On Saturday, the Spanish giants secured yet another La Liga title.

Should Benzema help Real Madrid overcome Manchester City at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, and then go on to beat Liverpool in the final in Paris on May 28, the clamor for him to win the Ballon d’Or will become irresistible.

Benzema has been Real Madrid's savior this season in La Liga and especially in the Champions League, where he netted nine of the last 11 goals the team has scored in the competition.

He notched up hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea, and two goals against Manchester City. Against Chelsea he scored the goal that took Real Madrid to the semi-finals. He also became only the fifth player to score more than 40 goals in a single season in Real Madrid history, after Cristiano Ronaldo (seven times), Ferenc Puskas (twice), Alfredo Di Stefano and Hugo Sanchez. He is in legendary company.

His heroics mean Benzema is now the third-best scorer in Real Madrid’s history with 317 goals, behind Cristiano Ronaldo on 450 and Raúl on 323.

At 34, he is a mature, athletic and committed forward and, to this writer at least, Benzema is the best player in his position currently in world football, performing at the peak of his powers, and fighting on all fronts for club and country.

The Frenchman reaches the end of the season above stars that have over the last decade overshadowed him, often