Karim Benzema wins Ballon d’Or for the first time, says World Cup is ‘the next challenge’
- Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 games as he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga in 2021-22
- Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas retained the Women’s Ballon d’Or for the second consecutive year
Karim Benzema’s focus on being a team player was rewarded when the Real Madrid and France forward was presented with the Ballon d’Or award on Monday after a remarkable season that saw him win the Champions League and become indispensable for Les Bleus.
The 34-year-old, who made his comeback with the national team after a gap of almost six years over a blackmail scandal, was pivotal in Real’s Champions League and La Liga double.
His partnership with Kylian Mbappe for his country, although not perfect, has made the world champions’ forward line one of the most formidable in the game.
Benzema, who has a killer instinct in front of goal, revels in making teammates shine and Monday’s trophy for the best player in the world was just reward for the selfless forward.
“It’s a collective victory. It’s an individual trophy but without your teammates you can’t score. Sometimes you might get a screamer but, for me, football is a collective sport and I will always be a team player,” Benzema said.
Benzema, who started his professional career at Olympique Lyonnais after being developed in their youth academy, joined Real in 2009 after four years with Lyon’s first team.