France and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has won the Ballon d’Or for the first time, becoming the first Frenchman to win the prize since Zinedine Zidane in 1998.
The 34-year-old, who has been at Real Madrid since 2009, is expected to play a key role for France at the World Cup in Qatar which starts on 20 November.
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The Ballon d’Or is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football, it starte in 1956.
The award is given to the best footballer of the year between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022, and there is the male and female category.
Selected journalist’s from FIFA’s top 100 nations are eligible to vote players from the shortlist of 30 men and 20 women. Whichever player receives the most points will be awarded the prize.
Benzema won the votes ahead of Bayern Munich and Senegal’s Sadio Mane, who was at Liverpool in 2021-22. Manchester City and Belgium’s Kevin De Bryune can in third.
He scored 44 goals in 46 games as he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga in 2021-22.
Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas retained the Women’s Ballon d’Or, awarded to the best best female footballer of 2022.
England Euro 2022 winner and Arsenal forward Beth Mead was second.
Manchester City FC was awarded the Club of the year ahead of Liverpool FC.
Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid won the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, ahead of Liverpool’s Alison and Ederson of Manchester City and Chelsea’s Édouard Mendy.
The Kopa Trophy awarded to the best performing player under the age of 21, went to 18-year old Barcelona and Spain Midfielder, Gavi.
Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski won the Gerd Muller Trophy awarded to the best striker after scoring 57 goals for Bayern Munich and Poland in 2021-22.
Sadio Mane won the inaugural Socrates Award, a newly created humanitarian prize.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
