Benzema, who’s the primary French winner of essentially the most prestigious particular person award in soccer since Zinedine Zidane in 1998, scored 44 targets in 46 video games for his membership final season as Real received the Champions League and La Liga.
Real Madrid’s French ahead Karim Benzema receives the Ballon d’Or award through the 2022 Ballon d’Or France Football award ceremony on the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on 17 October 2022. Picture: FRANCK FIFE/AFP
PARIS – Karim Benzema was rewarded for his exceptional success with Real Madrid by successful the Ballon d’Or at a star-studded ceremony in Paris on Monday, whereas Spain’s Alexia Putellas retained the women’s prize.
Benzema, who’s the primary French winner of essentially the most prestigious particular person award in soccer since Zinedine Zidane in 1998, scored 44 targets in 46 video games for his membership final season as Real received the Champions League and La Liga.
Fifteen of his targets got here within the Champions League, together with hat-tricks in knockout wins towards Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea and three extra throughout each legs of a shocking semi-final defeat of Manchester City.
The 34-year-old, who additionally received the UEFA Nations League with France, succeeds Lionel Messi with the Argentine not nominated this 12 months after claiming the prize for the seventh time in 2021.
“The Ballon d’Or might be individual but it’s still a collective award. This is the Ballon d’Or of the people,” Benzema declared.
“Winning this trophy was always something that was in the back of my mind,” he added.
Benzema pushed Sadio Mane into second place, though the Bayern Munich and Senegal star did have his off-field work recognised as he was given a brand new award named after former Brazil star Socrates.
Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City was third, with Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski coming fourth.
‘PROUD OF MY JOURNEY’
Winning the award, organised by France Football journal, caps a exceptional profession revival for Benzema, who was frozen out of the France crew for 5 and a half years due to his involvement in a blackmail scandal over a sextape involving teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
He was later handed a one-year suspended jail sentence and fined 75,000 euros ($73,848).
He returned to the nationwide crew for final 12 months’s European Championship and can now go to the World Cup in Qatar with France subsequent month.
“There were moments that were much more difficult for me, for example when I wasn’t with the national team, but I am really, really proud of my journey,” he added.
Benzema turns 35 on December 19, the day after the World Cup remaining, and is the oldest winner of the Ballon d’Or because the very first, Stanley Matthews in 1956.
The former Lyon striker can be the fifth Frenchman to win the prize, with Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini and Jean-Pierre Papin all getting their palms on the trophy earlier than Zidane.
The award was beforehand primarily based on a participant’s performances over the course of the calendar 12 months.
But the format has modified, with the prize now primarily based on a participant’s file during the last season.
PUTELLAS EYES RETURN FROM INJURY
That could have helped Putellas win the women’s award regardless of struggling a critical knee damage in July that noticed her miss the European Championship with Spain.
Instead, Putellas’s performances with Barcelona have been recognised after she top-scored within the Women’s Champions League to assist the Catalans attain the ultimate, which they misplaced to Lyon.
“It makes me even more annoyed to be injured, but I am very happy to be here,” Putellas mentioned.
“To retain the trophy is much harder. When I injured my knee I thought my chances of winning it had gone but in the end the jury based their decision on the whole of last season, of which I only missed one month.”
The 28-year-old edged out Beth Mead, who scored six targets for the England aspect that received the Euro on house soil.
Sam Kerr of Chelsea and Australia got here third.
It is simply the fourth time a women’s Ballon d’Or has been awarded, with Norway’s Ada Hegerberg successful the inaugural prize in 2018 and Megan Rapinoe triumphing in 2019.
There was no ceremony in 2020 as a result of pandemic, earlier than Putellas received her first a 12 months in the past.
Her damage means she is unlikely to make it a hat-trick subsequent 12 months, though she hopes to play once more this season.
“The knee is doing well. I just need to focus on recovering and if everything goes as I hope — and as the doctors and my club hope — I will be back playing this season,” she mentioned.
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Gavi received the Kopa Trophy for the most effective participant aged below 21, whereas Lewandowski obtained the award for final season’s high goalscorer, renamed the Gerd Mueller Trophy.
Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois received the prize for finest goalkeeper of the 12 months.
