Eden Hazard insists the 2022 Ballon d’Or award winner should be Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema after a stunning campaign ended with the Champions League trophy.

Benzema scored 44 goals for Los Blancos this term – including a prolific 15 in 12 Europe – helping Real Madrid to lift a treble of La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League.

Speaking ahead of Belgium’s Nations League ties with Netherlands and Poland on June 3 and June 8 respectively – for which he has been recalled to the squad – Hazard said: “I think there is no other player like Karim.

“Benzema has won 99 per cent of the Ballon d’Or.

“Then with the votes you never know what will happen, but I think it will go to Karim and I hope so because he deserves it.”