Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema won the men’s Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career. Last season, the 34-year-old scored 44 goals in 46 games as Real won the Champions League, another LaLiga championship, the Spanish Super Cup, and the European Super Cup. Benzema won the Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in Paris, beating Sadio Mane for second place and Kevin De Bruyne for third. He is the first Frenchman to win the trophy since Zinedine Zidane did it in 1998. Since Stanley Matthews won the inaugural Ballon d’Or award in 1956, the striker is also the award’s oldest recipient.
“After all the work I put in, I’m incredibly proud of myself because I never gave up. Like other children, I had this dream as a child. Zidane and Ronaldo served as my two primary sources of inspiration. In my head, I’ve always believed that everything is possible,” Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema said. “When I wasn’t on the French squad, it was challenging, but I never stopped trying or gave up. I always maintained my composure and focused on playing football, and I’m quite proud of how far I’ve come. It wasn’t simple; it was a challenging period. Even for my family, it was difficult. This is my first time being here, and I’m glad and satisfied with my work, so I keep going.”
The midfielder for Manchester City placed third, with De Bruyne receiving the most votes of any player currently competing in England. Cristiano Ronaldo failed to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, finishing in 20th place, which is the lowest position the Manchester United forward has had in this competition since 2005. In front of PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, the winner of the Champions League championship match, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool was chosen as the fifth-best player.
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