French striker Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or for the first time on Monday, being distinguished as the best footballer in the world last year.
The 34-year-old Real Madrid player, who on August 25 had already been named the best in UEFA, won the Champions League and the Spanish League in 2021/22, being the top scorer in both competitions, with 15 and 27 goals, respectively.
Benzema is the fifth French player to be awarded – and the first in the 21st century – after Raymond Copa (1959), Michel Platini (1983, 1984 and 1985), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991) and Zinédine Zidane (1998).
As for the rest of the trophies, the Spanish Alexia Putellas, from FC Barcelona, scored twice in the women’s Ballon d’Or, while the Belgian Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) received the Yashin Award, for the best goalkeeper, and Gavi , also from ‘Barça’, the Kopa Trophy, for the best under-21.
For his part, the Pole Robert Lewandowski received, for what he did at Bayern Munich, the second trophy of ‘king’ of the scorers, while Manchester City was named team of the year, ahead of Liverpool and Real Madrid , champion of Europe.
The history of the Ballon d’Or, in the men’s category, is led by Lionel Messi, who has seven trophies (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021), two more than the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo. (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017).
The Ballon d’Or is an award given by the French magazine France Football, which since 1956 rewards the best player of the year (until 1994 only the best European who plays in Europe) and now rewards the best soccer player of the moment.
Source: TSF
