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Messi Tips Benzema for 'Deserved' Ballon d'Or

Karim Benzema. (AFP)
Karim Benzema. (AFP)
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Messi Tips Benzema for 'Deserved' Ballon d'Or

Karim Benzema. (AFP)
Karim Benzema. (AFP)

Real Madrid's France star Karim Benezema deserves to win the Ballon d'Or, according to seven-time laureate Lionel Messi.

Benzema was crucial in Madrid's Champions League victory this season, culminating with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in Paris on Saturday, AFP said.

Although he did not score in the final, Benzema's back-to-back hat-tricks in the knock-out rounds, starting with a 17-minute treble against Messi's Paris Saint-Germain to overturn a 2-0 aggregate deficit, were crucial to generating the momentum that swept the Spaniards to the title.

"There's no doubt, it's very clear that Benzema has had a spectacular year and has ended it by winning the Champions League," Messi told Argentine channel TyC Sports.

"He was crucial from the last-16 onwards in every match and I think there's no doubt" that Benzema deserves to win the Ballon d'Or.

Messi was speaking a couple of days ahead of a friendly with Italy at Wembley stadium between two continental champions.

The match between the South American Copa America holders and the European champions, where many Argentines trace their roots, is known as the "Finalissima".

But while Argentina stormed to qualification for the Qatar World Cup later this year with several games to spare, Italy astonishingly missed out after losing to minnows North Macedonia in a play-off.

"What happened with Italy is crazy, having won the Euros and not being at the World Cup, given Italy's history at the World Cup," he said.

"If Italy had been at the World Cup they would have been one of the favorites. They were unlucky. No one would have wanted to play them."

Having spent his entire career at Barcelona, the 34-year-old moved to PSG a year ago where he has struggled to reproduce his best form.

He admitted it had been "a difficult change" and that the first day he took his children to school in Paris he left "crying".

Having caught Covid-19 at the end of 2021, Messi is convinced the virus has left "scars" in his lungs while he also admitted the Champions League capitulation against Real was "a tough blow".

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Djokovic Faces 'New Reality' after Losing Another Opening Match in Madrid

Novak Djokovic of Serbia waves to the crowd after losing against Matteo Arnaldi of Italy during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia waves to the crowd after losing against Matteo Arnaldi of Italy during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
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Djokovic Faces 'New Reality' after Losing Another Opening Match in Madrid

Novak Djokovic of Serbia waves to the crowd after losing against Matteo Arnaldi of Italy during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia waves to the crowd after losing against Matteo Arnaldi of Italy during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

After losing a second straight opening match and three in a row overall, Novak Djokovic said he was facing a “new reality” in his two decades of pro tennis.
Djokovic's public coming to terms with his rare losing streak came after he fell in straight sets to Matteo Arnaldi in his first match of the Madrid Open on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
The 37-year-old Djokovic came to Spain after also losing his opener to Alejandro Tabilo at the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks ago and, before that, the Miami Open final.
“I was hoping I can play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo. (It's) kind of a new reality for me, I have to say, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament," Djokovic said.
The struggles by the winner of 24 Grand Slam titles coincide with the start of the clay-court swing culminating in the French Open next month.
“It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis,” he said. “It’s a challenge for me mentally to really face these kinds of sensations on the court, going out early now regularly in tournaments.”
Arnaldi won 6-3, 6-4, delaying Djokovic’s search for a career 100th title. The Serb was undermined by 32 unforced errors to his opponent's 18 and had his serve broken three times.
It was the first meeting between Djokovic and 44th-ranked Arnaldi of Italy.
“He’s my idol, he’s always been,” Arnaldi said of Djokovic. “To play him at a stage like this was already a victory for me. He’s not at his best right now, so I came on court to try to play my best tennis and win and it happened.”
Arnaldi raised his arms and turned to the crowd after striking a winner that gave him a second-set break. Djokovic tried to hit right back and had three break points, but Arnaldi rallied to save his serve and finished off the three-time champion.
He wrote “OMG” (Oh my god) on the camera when given the marker for the now customary message by the winner to the television audience.
Djokovic is still seeking his first title of the season after winning his 99th title last August at the Paris Olympics. He has lost four finals since then. The only two players to reach the 100-title milestone are Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).
Arnaldi will next face Damir Dzumhur after he rallied past Sebastian Baez 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.
The sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3 and moves on to play Denis Shapovalov after the Canadian defeated Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-4.
Stefanos Tsitsipas fought back against Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and will face 10th-seeded Loranzo Musetti, who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (3), 6-2.
Cameron Norrie also came back to down Jiri Lehecka 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. He will play Gabriel Diallo.
Other winners included fifth-seeded Jack Draper and 15th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.
Second-seeded Iga Swiatek saw off Linda Noskova 6-4, 6-2 as the defending champion advanced to the round of 16.
Swiatek will play Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals.
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva advanced to the last 16 for the third straight year by defeating Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3.
The 17-year-old Andreeva, ranked No. 7, has yet to lose before the Madrid fourth round.
She reached that stage for the first time in 2023 while playing as a wild card in her second WTA main draw. Last year, her first big quarterfinals came in the Spanish capital.
“I was very, very nervous,” Andreeva said. “I still struggle to find my best tennis in Madrid. Super happy that I could manage to play consistent throughout the whole match.”
Andreeva, who will turn 18 on Tuesday, will next face Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, who defeated 18th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova in three sets.
Americans Coco Gauff and Madison Keys also advanced with straight-set wins.
Fourth-seeded Gauff beat compatriot Ann Li 6-2, 6-3, while the fifth-seeded Keys edged Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 7-6 (3).