Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has won football’s biggest individual prize after taking home his first Ballon d’Or award.
The FrenchmanTo win the prestigious award, he defeated competition from Robert Lewandowski and Kevin De Bruyne, Sadio Mae, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mane to take the title.
Lionel MessiCristiano Ronaldo as well as Cristiano Ronaldo attended the ceremony. However, neither player was in contention for the trophy.
Messi wasn’t even named in the final shortlist, while Ronaldo20th place in the voting
It is the first time since 2006 that at least one of the pair haven’t appeared in the top three.
Benzema became the eighth Real player who won the tournament. Ballon d’Or – with the last being Luka Modric in 2018.
Speaking after winning the top prize, he said: “This prize in front of me makes me proud of the work I did from a young age.
“I had the motivation, I had two role models in my life, Zidane and Ronaldo. My dream was that anything was possible.
“There were difficult periods where I wasn’t in the French team but I kept working hard. I’m really proud of my journey here. It wasn’t easy, it was difficult. It was difficult for me and my family. To be here today, I’m just really happy. I would like to thank my team-mates.”
The 34-year-oldAfter scoring 44 goals in all competitions in 46 games, he enjoyed his best season.
His goals were achieved Los BlancosHe was the champion scorer in Champions League and LaLiga, where he won both competitions.
Real looked defeated in the European Cup against Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City in each round.
After scoring a hat trick in the Round 16 second leg, he knocked out PSG. He followed that with four goals in his quarter-final against Blues.
After finding the back three more times against the Citizens, the ex-Lyon marksman found it again in semi-final before drawing a blank. Liverpool wins by 1-0.
And Benzema continues to be a fine performer, scoring four times in six top-flight matches in Spain.
He broke the impasse in the 3-1 victory over rivals BarcelonaReal will be back at the top of the table on Sunday, so we’ll be there at the Bernabeu.
Benzema is close to a new deal with Real, which could bring him more joy until 2024.
Benzema’s team-mate Thibaut CourtoisReal was delighted to have won the Yashin Trophy, making it a double pleasure
Courtois was given the award in memory of Lev Yashin, a legendary Russian goalkeeper. He won the award for his heroics during the Champions League final. Courtois was also named man of the match.
And Barca starlet Gavi made it a LaLiga treble after he won the Kopa Trophy for being the best youngster in Europe.
