Karim Benzema clinched the 2022 edition of the Ballon d’Or on the back of a sterling campaign with Real Madrid which culminated in Champions League success. Benzema, who was the overwhelming favourite ahead of the awards ceremony, beat competition from Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane and Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona to annex the prestigious diadem.
The Real Madrid frontman scored an outstanding 44 goals in 46 games for Los Blancos including 15 in the UEFA Champions League.
The 34-year-old’s exploits included a hat-trick in 17 second-half minutes against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, and another goal-scoring feat against Chelsea in the quarter-final first leg. He also scored three more goals over both legs of the semi-final against Manchester City.
How many French players have won the Ballon d’Or?
Raymond Kopa, who played for Real Madrid, was the first French player to win the award in 1958, then came three crowns for former UEFA president Michel Platini between 1983 and 1985.
Marseille’s Jean-Pierre Papin was the next Frenchman to win in 1991 with Zinedine Zidane, who was playing for Juventus by then, the final French winner in 1998, as noted by CBS Sports. Benzema tipped to win Ballon d’Or Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Real Madrid and Barcelona players have been widely tipped to dominate the 66th edition of the Ballon d’Or awards scheduled to take place on October 17.
Awards such as the Ballon d’Or given to the best player in Europe, Kopa Trophy for the best Under-21 player, and Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper all have La Liga contenders for the awards. According to Football Espana, Karim Benzema is the favourite to win his first Ballon d’Or after scoring 44 goals in 46 games to lead Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double in 2022. Source: SportsBrief.com
