Karim Benzema is the Ballon d'Or 2022

• Sports

Karim Benzema is the winner of the 2022 Ballon d'Or. The Real Madrid star received the coveted trophy from another legend of French soccer and Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, the last in France to win the Ballon d 'Gold, in 1998, when he played for Juventus.

Benzema was the protagonist of an extraordinary season, both in the national team, but above all by contributing decisively to Real Madrid's Champions League victory. Benzema, 34, is the oldest player to win the Ballon d'Or after 41-year-old Stanley Matthews.

Manchester City voted best club, Courtois best goalkeeper. Behind Benzema, in second and third place, Sadio Mané and Kevin De Bruyne as regards the podium. Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr. and Erling Haaland respectively fifth, sixth, eighth and tenth in the standings.

Robert Lewandowski was just off the podium. Out of the top-10 Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Final ranking

1. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
2. Sadio Mané (Liverpool / Bayern Munich)
3. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
4.

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich / Barcelona)
5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
6. Kylian Mbappé (PSG)
7. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
8. Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
9. Luka Modric (Real)
10. Erling Haaland (Dortmund / Manchester City)

KARIM BENZEMA IS THE 2022 BALLON D’OR!

✨@Benzema@realmadrid#ballondor pic.twitter.com/TXLkHJIhJM — Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) October 17, 2022

Benzema's career

Moving to Real Madrid in 2009, he has established himself as one of the best strikers of his generation.

With the Spaniards he enriched his palmarès, winning four championships (2012, 2017, 2020 and 2022), two King's Cups (2011 and 2014), four Spanish Super Cups (2012, 2017, 2020 and 2022), five UEFA Champions League ( 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022), four UEFA Super Cups (2014, 2016, 2017 and 2022) and four World Club Cups (2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018).

In 2004 he won the European championship in the category with the French Under-17 national team. With the senior national team, in which he debuted in 2007, he played three European championships (2008, 2012 and 2020) and one world championship (2014).

In 2015, following a legal case involving him, he was excluded from the national team, before returning there in 2021, the year in which he won the UEFA Nations League. Benzema was once named UEFA Player of the Year (2021-2022) and French Footballer of the Year four times (2011, 2012, 2014 and 2021), as well as winning the Trofeo Bravo in 2008 and the Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy in 2020.

He was the top scorer in Ligue 1 (2007-2008), La Liga (2021-2022) and UEFA Champions League (2021-2022). With 28 official trophies won at club level, he is the most successful French footballer as well as the best French scorer in UEFA club competition and the Spanish league.