Monday night, there was only enough Karim Benzema and that’s quite normal. The 34-year-old striker became on October 17 the oldest player in history to win the Ballon d’Or, the supreme individual award that football can offer. A real consecration for the star of Real Madrid and the France team, who has had a remarkable season in every respect. Winner of the Champions League and the Spanish championship, he showed a level of play never before achieved and there was ultimately little suspense for the awarding of the trophy.
Present with a large number of his relatives at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Karim Benzema had notably brought his new companion, Jordan Ozuna, who formalized their relationship a few hours after the ceremony. For his part, Kylian Mbappé’s great friend had put the dishes in the big ones since he wore a costume inspired by his lifelong idol, Tupac, as well as a watch at an indecent price (600,000 €!). Another peculiarity of the one we nicknamed KB9 is always play with a bandage on the right hand since a pinkie injury in 2019.
An image awaited by all his fans for a long time
Everyone is therefore wondering what could be hiding behind this consistent bandage and we finally had the answer on Monday evening! During his touching speech (where he still slipped a small tackle on Didier Deschamps), Karim Benzema joined his hands to thank his many friends and idols, including Zinedine Zidane, who presented him with the trophy, and we finally got to see his famous little finger on the right hand. A photo that the player himself shared on his Instagram account, proof that he has no shame in showing it and that he therefore puts on this bandage to protect himself during matches (the photo can be found in the slideshow). We can see that his right little finger is curled up, a sign of the injury he suffered in the past.
The player had had surgery for the first time to solve the problem, but he had hurt himself again some time later. “I don’t have time for surgery anymore, that’s why I play with a bandage“, he explained in October 2021. Now comfortable with his bandage, Karim Benzema has made it a distinctive sign and perhaps even a lucky charm that has led him to the Ballon d’Or!