Forever among the greatest in football history. Huge favorite, Karim Benzema was awarded the Ballon d’Or 2022, Monday, October 17, during the ceremony organized at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris. Author of an exceptional 2021-2021 season with Real Madrid, punctuated by a coronation in the Champions League and a Spanish championship title, the French striker beat Sadio Mané (2nd) and Kevin de Bruyne ( 3rd).
At 34, “KB9” becomes the fifth French player to win this coveted trophy, the first since his ex-coach at Real Madrid (2016-2018, then 2019-2021), Zinédine Zidane, crowned in 1998. Symbolically, it was the latter who handed him the trophy. Benzema also became the second oldest player to put his name on the Ballon d’Or list, behind Englishman Stanley Matthews, who won the first edition at 41 in 1956.
Last season, Benzema was as prolific (50 goals, including 44 with Real) as he was decisive in the most crucial moments. Scorer in the round of 16, quarter-finals, then in the semi-finals of the last C1, Karim Benzema simply equaled a record by scoring ten goals in the same knockout phase. His hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain, then against Chelsea, marked the history of the most prestigious European football competition for a long time.
The top 20 of the Ballon d’Or 2022 ranking #BallondOr pic.twitter.com/OTUkVHNniV
— THE TEAM (@theteam) October 17, 2022
The competition could only bow down, even Sadio Mané, yet African champion with Senegal and Champions League finalist with Liverpool. Even the Lionel Messi (not named in the list of 30) – Cristiano Ronaldo (20th) tandem, who had won twelve of the last thirteen trophies, was no match for Benzema this season, the 44th player to be able to boast to be the best soccer player on the planet.