Time has crowned the talent, doggedness, efficiency and humanity of Real Madrid forward, Karim Benzema as he has emerged winner of the 2022 Player of the Year Ballon d’Or award.
He was announced winner in Paris on Monday night, in an aura that justified the ascension.
KARIM BENZEMA IS THE 2022 BALLON D’OR! ✨@Benzema@realmadrid#ballondor pic.twitter.com/TXLkHJIhJM
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) October 17, 2022
Unlike in some past episodes that controversy dotted the award, almost everyone agrees that Benzema’s head is the one the global crown fits based on the sterling performance he has been exhibiting at club and national levels.
For years, he supported Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch at Madrid, or he at least never felt uncomfortable with the rise of the Portuguese enigma as he assisted him get the goals on many occasion.
It is the first Ballon d’Or of his career as the 34-year-old had never finished inside the top three in previous years, but he finished today ahead of Kevin De Bruyne, Sadio Mane and Robert Lewandoski.
Here is the podium for the 2022 Ballon d'Or 🔝#ballondor pic.twitter.com/lxQN1q8rk4
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) October 17, 2022
The award was presented by former Real Madrid’s coach Zinedine Zidane at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
🏅 ¡ENHORABUENA, @Benzema! 🏅#ballondor pic.twitter.com/2RuoJE3ZN5
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) October 17, 2022
The striker begins to offer words of thanks and cites Zizou and Ronaldo as inspirations.
Benzema was the top scorer in Spain’s La Liga and the UEFA Champions League in the 2021/22 season, as Real Madrid won both competitions.
A total of 12 of the last 13 winners have been named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, interrupted the hegemony in 2018.
This year Messi did not make the cut for the finalists, though Ronaldo did. Messi has won it a record seven times, while Ronaldo has claimed five.
Real Madrid on their official English Twitter handle @realmadriden, tweeted, “It had to be @Benzema #ballondor 2022.”
🌟 IT HAD TO BE. 🌟
🏆 @Benzema: #ballondor 2022 pic.twitter.com/roM6pqr5A3
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 17, 2022
Meanwhile, ahead of a November to December FIFA World Cup, a change in the format saw the Ballon d’Or awarded based on performances over a regular season for the first time.
It rather used to be over the calendar year.
France international Benzema would have been a leading candidate in either case.
But he was the clear winner after scoring 44 goals in 46 matches and earning a fifth European crown in the 2021/2022 campaign.
Although his haul was topped by Robert Lewandowski (50) —- then of Bayern Munich and now of FC Barcelona —- 10 of Benzema’s goals came in the Champions League knockout stages.
He tied a Cristiano Ronaldo single-season record.
Vinicius Junior netted the decisive strike in the final against Liverpool.
But Benzema had already established himself as the world’s best with hat-tricks against both Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea.
Adding 15 assists, Benzema’s total of 59 goal involvements last season fell just shy of Kylian Mbappe’s Europe-wide high of 60 (39 goals, 21 assists).
Benzema had been nominated for the Ballon d’Or on 10 previous occasions but only cracked the top 10 for the first time in 2021.
He finished fourth as Lionel Messi – not nominated this year – claimed a seventh award
