Ballon d'Or 2022 live: Key updates from Paris ceremony as Karim Benzema hopes to win award for first time

 

Ballon d'Or 2022 live: Key updates from Paris ceremony as Karim Benzema hopes to win award for first time

Real Madrid's French striker Karim Benzema won the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world for the last season (2021-2022), Monday evening, during a ceremony held in the French capital, Paris.

Benzema made an exceptional performance last season, and led Real Madrid to win the League and Champions League titles, as well as crowning the European Nations League with the French roosters.

This is the first time that Benzema has won the Ballon d'Or, since the beginning of his career with the round witch, and the award was handed to him by the French legend and former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.

Benzema surpassed many football stars who competed with him to win the award this year, led by Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Thibaut Courtois.

It is noteworthy that the Argentine Lionel Messi, the star of Paris Saint-Germain, was the one who won the award last year, knowing that he held the record for winning the Ballon d'Or 7 times.

This is the first time that Benzema has won the Ballon d'Or award from France Football magazine.

According to the network "Opta" for statistics, Benzema became the eighth player from Real Madrid to win the Ballon d'Or.

The network added that Karim became the first French player to win the award since 1998, when Zinedine Zidane achieved it.

The eight Real Madrid players were crowned in total with 12 golden balls: Di Stefano (1957, 1959), Raymond Kopa (1958), Luis Figo (2000), Ronaldo (2002), Cannavaro (2006), Cristiano Ronaldo (2013, 2014, 2016), 2017, Luka Modric 2018, and Benzema 2022.

"France now has 5 different Ballon d'Or winners, no other country has more than this number. A golden achievement."

Benzema was preceded by the French quartet of achievement: Raymond Cuba (1958), Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991) and Zinedine Zidane (1998).

Benzema surpassed many football stars who competed with him for the award this year, led by Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Thibaut Courtois and Robert Lewandowski.