After a year-long of several speculations and various questions, Karim Benzema has finally claimed his first Ballon d’Or. The Frenchman was really contented after winning the biggest individual trophy in club football.
Being 34 years old, Karim Benzema became the oldest winner since Stanley Matthews in 1956. After Luka Modric, he became the only second player to win the Ballon d’Or in the Ronaldo-Messi era.
After he won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga last season with Real Madrid he became one of the most prominent figures in the eyes of French football.
After the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 from Santiago Bernabéu, the Frenchman became the front-runner for Los Blancos. He took their responsible job of scoring goals and converting chances into his own hands and his performance just took a rise from there.
In 2018, it felt like the club will take a huge leave down because of the departure of their main man Cristiano Ronaldo and Lynchpin Zinedine Zidane. But the exact opposite of it happened when they defeated Liverpool FC in last year’s UEFA Champions League final.
What does Karim Benzema have to say about winning the Ballon d’Or?
After winning the prestigious title, the Frenchman said “Ronaldo Nazario knows that he is my idol and everyone knows that we will never see anyone like him again.”
“I had two role models in life: Zizou and Ronaldo. I’ve never lowered my efforts and I’ve kept the dream in my head, even through a period in which I was not in the national team,” he added.
Last season, Karim Benzema scored 44 goals for Real Madrid in just 46 appearances in addition to his 15 assists. And because of his unmatchable performance for the white outfit, he wins the Ballon d’Or.
“But I did not lower my efforts and it worked. It has been difficult and this only made me stronger mentally. I am satisfied with my work and I am very happy. I thank my teammates at Real Madrid and the national team.”
