Karim Benzema has won the 2021-2022 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award after an incredible 2021-2022 football season with Real Madrid. He emerged as the winner ahead of the other two nominees, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois.
It is no surprise that Karim Benzema is the European best player of the year for the 2021-2022 football season after a tremendous and gigantic stride with Real Madrid last season. Teammate Thibaut Courtois made the final three-man nominee. Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City also made the final list. They both pulled a strong performance last season, but Benzema outclassed them when the stats are juxtaposed.
A Look At The Other Two Contestants
Kevin de Bruyne made it to the semi-final of the 2021-2022 Champions League. He played 30 Premier League matches for Manchester City season and scored 15 goals with 8 assists. He featured 10 times in the Champions League for the Citizens and scored 2 goals. De Bruyne won the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League before losing to Real Madrid.
Thibaut Courtois kept 16 La Liga clean sheets last season and was second on the log behind Alex Remiro of Real Sociedad, who had 19.
Courtois was part of Real Madrid’s successful 2021-2022 football season, winning the La Liga, the Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup.
Why Benzema Deserves The Award
Karim scored 27 goals in 32 La Liga matches, backing it up with 12 good assists for Real Madrid last season. He won the La Liga with the Los Blancos. He featured throughout the team’s Champions League matches for the Spanish giants, scoring 15 goals to emerge as the tournament’s top scorer.
Benzema was instrumental to Real Madrid’s 14th and his 5th UEFA Champions League title. He single-handedly did the magic against PSG in France, scoring a hat-trick to set up a quarter-final clash with Chelsea. He fired another hat-trick at Stamford Bridge, giving the Los Blancos an edge in the second leg over the Blues. Chelsea nearly pulled a dramatic come-back when Benzema rose to the occasion to complete his double against Chelsea. When Manchester almost reached their second Champion League finals, Karim Benzema rose to the occasion again, scoring an extra-time goal to take Real Madrid to the finals. He won the competition with the club to add to his La Liga title. Benzema also scored in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt to win the UEFA Super Cup.
Benzema Reacts After The Award
Benzema has attributed the award to his hard work and support from teammates, Real Madrid, and his family.
“A trophy that rewards the hard work of several years, thanks to my club Real Madrid, my teammates, and the staff who help me to achieve these performances”, the Frenchman said.
“Finally, thanks to my family and all the fans for your important daily support…”
The French and Real Madrid star has also thanked the President of Real Madrid, Florentino Perez, and Carlo Ancelotti, saying the award wouldn’t have been possible without them.
Who Is Karim Benzema?
Karim Benzema is a 34-year-old French footballer who plays as a center forward for Real Madrid with jersey number 9. Benzema was raised in Lyon, France, and was born to parents of Algerian descent. He has eight siblings and is the third child in the family. Benzema’s younger brothers, Gressy and Sabri, are also footballers. He has two kids, a daughter, Melia, who is 8, and a son Ibrahim who is 5. Benzema is a Muslim.
Football Career
Benzema started his football career with As Des Buers Villeurbanne, where he played for three years between 1993 and 1996. He moved to Bron in 1996 and played for one year for the team. At Bron, Benzema was making waves, although he was just eight years old. He earned his nickname, ‘coco’ when Bron clashed with Lyon youth Academy in a U-10 Championship, and he scored two goals. He joined the Lyon Academy from Bron, where he began his rise to stardom.
Benzema joined Lyon B, where he scored 15 goals in 20 matches. He transitioned to the main team between 2004 and 2009, scoring 43 fails in 112 appearances. Benzema joined Real Madrid in 2009 for a six-year contract after Lyon agreed to a €41m deal with Los Blancos. He has scored 220 goals in 417 appearances for the club.
National Team Career
Benzema rose to the summit of the French national team, beginning from the U-17 levels to U-21, before joining the senior team in 2007. He has made 97 appearances for the French senior national team and has scored 37 goals. Benzema was left out of France’s 2018 world cup squad because of his face-off with French Football Federation President Noel Le Great.
Awards And Honours
Karim Benzema won four consecutive French Ligue1 trophies with Lyon from 2004 to 2008. He also won the 2007-08 Coup de France with the club, including Trophee des Champions in 2006 and 2007. He has won four La Liga titles with Real Madrid, including two Copa Del Rey and five Champions League titles. Also in his trophy kit is four FIFA Club World Cup and four UEFA Super Cup. He has also won four Supercopa de Espana.
Karim Benzema won the UEFA U-17 Championship with France U-17 in 2004 and the 2020/2021 UEFA Nations League with the French senior national team.
Karim Benzema has won several individual awards throughout his football career in France and Spain. He emerged as the highest goal-scorer in Ligue 1 and Coup de Franc in the 2007/2008 football season. He also won the Ligue 1 player of the year and made Ligue 1 team of the year in 2007/2008.
At Real Madrid, he has bagged several individual honours and awards. He has won the La Liga Best Player of the Year and Real Madrid Best Player of the Year several times. He has made the UEFA Champions League Squad of the season, UEFA Champions League’s top assist-giver. Bnzema has been nominated for the Ballon d ‘Or 9 times. He is currently the 2021-2022 Champions League top scorer and has just been awarded the 2021-2022 UEFA Men’s Player of the year.
