Karim Benzema, a forward for Real Madrid, defeated Kevin De Bruyne, Sadio Mane, and Robert Lewandowski to take home the coveted Ballon d’Or title for the first time in his career.
Benzema is the first French player to win the Ballon D’Or Award since Zinedine Zidane in 1998. He was instrumental in Real’s run to the Champions League championship last season.
Since Stanley Matthews, the first winner in 1956, was 34, Benzema is also the oldest winner.
“I’m really proud, it’s a lot of work and a kid’s dream come true,” Benzema said as he received the award during a ceremony in Paris on Monday.
“There were much more difficult moments for me, when I was not selected [with France] and I did not give up,” Benzema said after Zidane, his former coach at Madrid, handed him the trophy.
“I am really proud of my career. This is the Golden Ball of the people.”
With 44 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions, Benzema had an outstanding season with Real, helping them win the LaLiga and Champions League double.
He scored 15 goals in the Champions League, helping Real win a record-breaking 14th championship.
Real staged incredible comebacks from deficits against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Chelsea, and Manchester City in the last-16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, respectively. Benzema scored in each of those second legs.
The highlight of their European season was their 3-1 victory over PSG in the return leg when the Spanish club was trailing 2-0 overall. Benzema scored a hat-trick in the final 17 minutes to shock the Ligue 1 team.
After winning the Ballon d’Or for a record-extending seventh time last year, Lionel Messi was succeeded by Benzema. Note that, after his debut season at PSG, Messi was not a nominee this time.
The honor, presented by France Football magazine, has been given to men for 66 years. Both the women’s trophy and the men’s trophy were discontinued in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic.
This year, the Ballon d’Or was awarded based on performance from the previous season for the first time. Prior to that, it had been given based on results over the course of a calendar year.
But the Frenchman has fulfilled other goals as well, or perhaps I should say crossed them off his childhood wish list.
There has been a spot set aside in Karim Benzema’s elegant villa in Ciudalcampo, a posh neighborhood outside of Madrid, for the Ballon d’Or trophy in his trophy cabinet.
The Frenchman has always dreamed of putting his dream trophy there, along with all of his other awards and medals and Champions League titles.
The Frenchman had aspirations of building a palace for his mother as well – which he has achieved after building the mansion for his mum.
Aside building the house for his mum, he also dreamt of becoming a professional player that which he achieved the moment he signed up for Lyon from Bron Terrailon FC. In the same vein, he dreamt of playing for Real Madrid, he is currently living the dream.
Karim Benzema: Rise to Stardom
At the age of eight, Benzema started playing football for his hometown team, Bron Terraillon SC.
His teammates gave him the nickname “Coco” while he was a member of the team, and after he scored two goals against the Lyon youth academy in a match for under-10s, the biggest club in the area started to take notice.
Officials from Lyon had personally contacted Serge Santa Cruz, president of Bron Terraillon in the 1990s, in an effort to sign the young player, but Santa Cruz declined.
The team agreed to let Benzema take part in a trial with Lyon after speaking with the player’s father.
After the trial, Benzema joined Lyon formally and was accepted into the team’s academy.
From Lyon, Benzema played until he signed up for Real Madrid on 1st of July 2009 – same season Legendary Cristiano Ronaldo arrived Santiago Bernabeu.
The transfer fee as at then was €35 million with the fee rising to as much as €41 million based on incentives.
From there on, the Frenchman enjoyed an illustrious professional career and capped it up with the Ballon D’Or Award.
Who is Karim Benzema’s Mother?
Karim Benzema, a talented French football player, has a mother named Wahida Djebbara.
Wahida Djebbara was born in Algeria. While she gave birth to Benzema in Lyon and raised there.
The rigorous disciplinarian Hafid Benzema is married to Wahida Djebbara. They have a sizable family.
Their 9 children are Karim, Sofia Benzema, Nafissa Benzema, Lydia Benzema, Laeticia Benzema, Farid Benzema, Gressy Benzema, and Sabri Benzema.
The family’s life was challenging because they had so many children and lived in a dangerous neighborhood with a high crime rate, but they overcame all of their obstacles and are genuinely in a happy life today.
