Karim Benzema on Monday, October 17, was named the winner of the Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in Paris. His triumph saw him become the first France international since Zinedine Zidane in 1998, to take home the coveted prize.
Benzema was an unplayable forward during the 2021/22 season which saw him get the nomination for the biggest individual award. He scored 44 goals in 46 matches last season for Real Madrid, who won La Liga and the Champions League.
The French international won the award on Monday ahead of Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane in second and Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, who came in third.
“It makes me really proud,” said Benzema after being named the winner. “All the work I did, I never gave up. It was a childhood dream like all kids [have]. I had two motivations in my life – Zidane and Ronaldo. I’ve always had this dream in my mind that anything is possible.
“There was a difficult period where I wasn’t in the French team, but I never stopped working hard nor gave up. I always kept my head, concentrated on playing football and I’m really proud of my journey here. It wasn’t easy, it was a difficult time. It was hard for my family as well. To be here today, for the first time for me, I’m happy and pleased with my work and I keep going.”
The award may have been his first professional accolade but Benzema’s patience is really the deal for him in this situation.
Prior to joining Madrid, Benzema was one of the high-flying prospects in the world and was always destined for the top.
However, it was always going to need some impressive work and determination for him to reach that point and that was exactly what he did between 2009 and 2022.
For the majority part of these moments, the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo meant the France international had to play in a way which completed his attributes and that of Ronaldo.
But his bigger picture was the opportunities that came his way following the departure of the Portugal international and the rise of the French.
Since Ronaldo left the club, Benzema has been the main source of goals for Real Madrid and it is no surprise he has been the top scorer in each of the seasons he has played at the club since then.
With a reward now for his efforts, Karim Benzema can only help develop the youngsters around him while also continuing his time at the club.
Fresh from the Ballon d’Or, Benzema was on target for Real Madrid in the league game against Elche away from home and could have grabbed a hat-trick if not for the Video Assistant Referee.
