Karim Benzema has won the Ballon d’Or for 2022. The French football star who plays for Real Madrid has been awarded the prestigious prize for the best male player in the world after helping Carlo Ancelloti’s side to a memorable La Liga and Champions League double.
The Laliga Pichichi winner for 2022 got 44 goals in a stellar season which saw him scoop the prize from contenders like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Mohammed Salah.
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This year’s event took place on Monday night at the elegant Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris with pomp and pageantry. In attendance were the crème de la crème of the footballing society; from Christano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandoski, Alexia Putellas, Son and Kane of Tottenham Hotspur among others.
With this victory, the Real Madrid marksman becomes the 66th winner of football’s most coveted individual prize honour, also making him the eighth player from football’s most decorated club to win the Ballon d’Or.
He follows Luka Modric, Christiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Delima, and Zinedine Yazid Zidane to win the prize.
Pundits had earlier tipped him to land his first Ballon d’Or ahead of the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Mohammed Salah.
Meanwhile, the winner of the women’s version of the Ballon d’Or went to the Spaniard, Alexia Putellas. She is the first woman to win the award twice.
