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Given his outstanding calendar year, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been chosen the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner.
Karim Benzema has been named Ballon d’Or winner for 2022
WHAT OCCURED?
The France international had an outstanding 2021–22 season at Santiago Bernabeu, scoring an incredible 44 goals to help Los Blancos win the La Liga and Champions League. The 34-year-old made 15 goals in European play and 27 in the Spanish top division last season.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Benzema has been a revelation for Madrid, helping to bridge the gap left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2018 and assuming leadership responsibilities after Sergio Ramos joined Paris Saint-Germain. His peers have now recognized him as the best player in the world, defeating opposition from players like Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Erling Haaland to win the coveted Golden Ball.
Previous Winners: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have recently dominated the Ballon d’Or voting, with the Argentinean collecting a record-breaking seven awards and the Portuguese superstar having five to his credit. Along with Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stefano, legendary athletes Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Franz Beckenbauer, and Johan Cruyff have all won the championship on many occasions. Benzema has added to Real Madrid’s record-breaking collection of awards by becoming the ninth player to win it.
