Benzema beats others to win first Ballon d’Or
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In the 2021/22 season, Benzema was the top scorer in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League as Real Madrid won both championships.
Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema has broken records to win the first Ballon d’Or of his career at the 2022 Ballon d’Or Award ceremony in Paris on Monday night.
The 34-year-old outplayed Lionel Messi to win the 2022 Player of the Year award.
He had never been in the top three in prior years, but he did it today, finishing ahead of Kevin De Bruyne, Sadio Mane, and Robert Lewandowski.
Former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane presented the prize in Paris’s Theatre du Chatelet.
In the 2021/22 season, Benzema was the top scorer in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League as Real Madrid won both championships.
Accepting the award, Benzema said; “It’s a source of pride,” Benzema said during the ceremony. It’s a childhood dream. I grew up with it in my head. Then I had the motivation. I had two role models in life: Zizou and Ronaldo.
“I’ve never given up. I thank my teammates at Real Madrid and in the national team. Also, my great president, who is like family to me.
“Also to the Lyon academy and the president [Jean-Michel] Aulas. Thanks to him I fulfilled my dream of playing for Real Madrid. I’m very happy that Ronaldo is here. I always wanted to be like him.”
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