Karim Benzema has been crowned as the top-performing player in world football in 2022. The Real Madrid skipper was recognised as the best player in the world and collected the Ballon d’Or in Paris. France Football, which awards the coveted prize, recognised his outstanding year at a ceremony at which our club was well represented in an expedition headed up by president Florentino Pérez. Benzema saw off competition from Mané, De Bruyne and Lewandowski (in that order) in voting that involved 180 international journalists, who cast their votes on the basis of the achievements of each player during the 2021/22 season.
His numbers:
Karim Benzema scooped the 2022 Ballon d’Or after enjoying an unbeatable 2021/22 season. The Frenchman plundered 44 goals and provided 10 assists in his 46 outings and was instrumental in the Whites’ trophy triumphs in the Champions League, LaLiga and the Spanish Super Cup.
The French forward, who previously landed the UEFA Player of the Year accolade, found the net 15 times in the Champions League, a haul that saw him top the competition’s scoring charts. He produced some memorable displays in the ties against PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City. Meanwhile, Benzema collected the LaLiga Pichichi Trophy after notching 27 goals, while he also proved to be decisive in the Spanish Super Cup, in which he scored twice in as many games.
During the 2021/22 season, Benzema continued to add to the statistics that make him a Real Madrid legend. He drew level with Raúl as the club’s second-highest all-time goalscorer (and overtook the former striker at the start of this season) and has surpassed the 600-game mark in our colours. He currently sits in sixth place in the club’s all-time appearance charts. He also shone brightly for France and fired home a stunning goal in the final as his national team took the Nations League trophy in October 2021.
Collecting the trophy:
Benzema collected the trophy from Zidane and commented: “It makes me proud to have this trophy in front of me. I remember when I was younger and all the hard work and training sessions. It was a dream I had as a child and I always had this award in my mind. I was motivated to win it because of two of my idols: Zidane and Ronaldo. It’s an award that every footballer has in mind. It’s very tough to win it, but not impossible. I don’t only think about scoring goals, but about having fun out on the pitch and helping my teammates.”
An award for everyone: “It’s an individual award, but it’s also a team one and, for me, this is a Ballon d’Or for the people, for everyone and all the fans. There’s a lot of work that goes into this and you’ve got to keep following the dream because there have been some really tough times. You’ve sometimes got to think about the tough times, like when I wasn’t part of the national team, but never once did I stop working.”
Thanks: “I’m really proud of my career. Those were tough times for my family and I had to be mentally strong. I’m really satisfied with my work. I want to thank my Real Madrid and national-team teammates. Thanks to my coach and my great president, who’s like a member of my family because he came to my house to sign me and he showed what kind of person he is. He’s got all my respect. I also want to thank Lyon and their president, because without them, I wouldn’t have made it to Real Madrid. Thanks also to my family. My parents are here tonight.”
Being the oldest Ballon d’Or winners since Matthews in 1956: “Age doesn’t matter when it comes to winning this trophy. There are players who show that they can keep on competing beyond 30, but you’ve got to have a lot of ambition, desire and work really hard. You’ve got to work more and have a very clear idea of things in your head and that has motivated me to have more ambition, but, above all, you’ve got to enjoy yourself on the pitch.”
His two idols: "Ronaldo knows that he's my hero and that he's uncomparable as a striker. What he did on the pitch was historic and impossible to repeat. He's the only forward who I'd sit on the bench for and not having anything to complain about. Both he and Zizou are history-makers. Ronaldo is the phenomenon."
Benzema's stats: The Ballon d’Or award is a deserved reward for a highly successful year for Benzema. The Frenchman led Real Madrid to the club’s 14th European Cup crown (La Decimocuarta), a 35th LaLiga title and a 12th Spanish Super Cup, competitions in which he was the leading scorer with 15, 27 and two goals respectively. In addition, he also played a decisive role in helping France to Nations League glory, with the Real Madrid frontman netting one of his national team’s two goals in the final.
Other madridista Ballon d’Or nominees: Modrić, Courtois, Vini Jr., Casemiro and Rüdiger also made the 30-man shortlist for the award. The German defender finished in 25th spot, while the Brazilian midfielder 17th position, the Croatian finished in ninth, the Brazilian attacker in eighth and the Belgian goalkeeper in seventh. Meanwhile, Camavinga featured amongst the nine nominees to lift the Kopa Trophy, which France Football bestows on the best-performing player aged under 21.
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