🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: And in 4th place is ... | OneFootball

Welcome to the third annual edition of the Ballon d’OneFootball as we continue our countdown of the top 25 players in the world.

Click right here to see the full list so far.

And today we have …

4th: Karim Benzema, Real Madrid and France

(Last year: 14th)

He has played at the top of the game for 17 years but the player with the largest improvement in our rankings jumped up 10 spots – and not without good reason.

Karim Benzema, a name that has frequently graced football’s biggest stages, is a model goalscorer who continues to reach new heights even at the age of 34. In his 13th season in Spain, he remains the leader of Real Madrid’s attack. That’s no light weight to carry but the pressure and expectation is still not slowing him down.

The lean center-forward covers ground with grace and needs just inches to get the jump on his markers. But don’t let that fool you; he also doesn’t lack in power, scoring goals that clatter LaLiga’s nets as well as those in the Champions League. Just ask Paris Saint-Germain.

Benzema is one of the deadliest players in Europe in terms of end product: he has 32 goals and 13 assists in 34 appearances this season, consistently rising to the occasion even when it may seem all hope is lost for Los Blancos.

That’s alongside his cultivated partnership with Vinícius Júnior which showcases another one of his brilliant qualities; the Frenchman happily plays the role of the experienced older brother, prepared to nurture and guide young talents.

Statistics aside it’s difficult to thoroughly explain Benzema’s importance to Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Real Madrid have an embarrassment of riches on paper but without Benzema they are not even close to the same side, as they showed when they took on Barcelona without him earlier this month.

While we won’t take away any credit from Barcelona, Benzema’s absence left a void his team-mates could not fill.

It makes you think where Real Madrid would be this season without the Frenchman leading the way. Seemingly the same question people asked about Cristiano Ronaldo way back when.

The club sits first in LaLiga and – bar any major slip up — should be on track for their 35th title and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League. For this, they have their No. 9 to thank. Depending on how far he can carry them, and how bright he could shine with France in a World Cup year, winning the Ballon d’Or may not be out of reach.

Karim Benzema has aged like a fine wine in a way perhaps nobody else has in the modern game. Be sure to enjoy a glass every now and then when you can.

Click right here to see the full list so far.