Karim Benzema sacred, France holds its first winner since 1998

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 2021-2022 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. To see this trophy in front of me is a source of pride, reacted Karim Benzema on the stage. I think back to when I was little, all the work, I never let go. It’s a childhood dream, I grew up with that in mind.

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, the merengue striker was as prolific (50 goals, including 44 with Real) as 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.

This Ballon d’Or is individual, but it remains collective, it’s the people’s Ballon d’Or“, proclaimed the winner of this 66th edition, who underlined the obstacles overcome during his career before obtaining this award. “It’s a lot of work, training even more and always keeping this dream in mind. There were times when it was much more difficult for me, those times when I wasn’t in the selection, when I didn’t give up with my coach here. It’s the first time for me, I’m happy, satisfied with my work, I’m going to continue like this.

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.


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