Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains La Liga club Real Madrid, and the France national team. A creative and prolific forward, Benzema is often regarded as one of the best strikers of all time.
Karim Benzema has won the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career. Aged 34, Benzema is the oldest Ballon d’Or winner since Stanley Matthews in 1956. However, the France international says:
“There was a difficult period where I wasn’t in the French team but I never stopped working hard or gave up.” “Really proud of my journey here. It wasn’t easy it was difficult. To be here today for the first time, I am happy, pleased for my work and want to keep going.”
“I want to thank all my team-mates at Real Madrid and France and my coach and the Real Madrid president who is here this evening and also the support of Jean-Michel Aulas [Lyon president].”
“There are a lot of people to thank. It is an individual prize but still a collective one because of everyone who played a role in it.”
Below are the BIG 3 reasons why he went home with the most coveted prize:
1. He was the difference for his club
Last season, Benzema was in scintillating form. The Real Madrid striker scored 44 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions in a season where Carlo Ancelotti’s side won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. His performances in the Champions League drew huge acclaim. He scored hat-tricks in the last-16 second leg against Paris Saint-Germain and in the quarter-final first leg against Chelsea.
He scored again in the decisive second leg against the London club before striking again in both the semi-final first and second legs against Manchester City.
2. His energy
The Frenchman was rewarded for a magical 2021/22 season in which his team won both Spain’s La Liga and the UEFA Champions League and he finished as the top scorer in both competitions. He also won the UEFA Nations League with France.
It had been a foregone conclusion for months that Benzema would win the award as best player in the world given there was realistically no other player who came close to his achievements and trophy haul. He totaled 44 goals for Real Madrid and another six for France in 2021/22.
3. He is a complete forward
If you talk about decisive footballers, there aren’t many who can touch him,” Alan Feehely, editor of Football España, told CNN Sport. “He has it all. He is the complete forward. He’s a number 10 and a number nine, he’s just a phenomenon. He has proven himself to be one of the most elite, world class forwards of the modern game.”
Benzema is a playmaker as well as a goalscorer and he makes everything better because he pulls back to play that withdrawn striker role.Because of that, he creates space for the two inside forwards that play alongside him, and he also combines that with an ability to get into the box himself and score goals himself.”
He is phenomenal. The most important thing about him is that he has that clutch gene that the great players have in terms of when the lights are brightest and the pressure is on.
