Widely considered the best player across all club competitions over the past 12 months, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema entered the Ballon d’Or awards night as the favorite to take out the prestigious honor. For those who enjoy betting on football, Benzema was a prohibitive favorite at that, garnering staggering odds of 1/33. When you take a look at his statistics, it’s easy to see why, with the Frenchman’s incredible performances helping his side win both the Spanish La Liga and Champions League gongs.
As part of his team’s winning efforts, Benzema was remarkable upfront as he tallied 44 goals in 46 games, 15 of which came in Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign. It wasn’t just his exceptional numbers that stood out from last season; it was also his ability to deliver in the big moments. You have to look no further than Benzema’s 95th-minute winner in the semi-final against Manchester City to understand how important he was to his side’s success.
At 34 years of age, the Frenchman becomes the oldest Ballon d’Or winner since 1956, when England’s Stanley Matthews won it as a 41-year-old. Benzema’s Ballon d’Or is a further indication of La Liga’s dominance at the club level in recent decades, with no player outside of Spain winning the award since Cristiano Ronaldo did so at Manchester United in 2008.
When speaking to the press, Benzema alluded to the hard work and determination he has exhibited behind the scenes that have enabled him to play his best football in the latter stages of his career.
“There was a difficult period where I wasn’t in the French team, but I never stopped working hard or gave up,” Benzema said on stage.
“Really proud of my journey here. It wasn’t easy it was difficult. To be here today, for the first time, I am happy and pleased with my work, and I want to keep going.
“I want to thank all my team-mates at Real Madrid and France and my coach and the Real Madrid president who is here this evening and also the support of Jean-Michel Aulas [Lyon president].
“There are a lot of people to thank. It is an individual prize but still a collective one because of everyone who played a role in it.”
Former Liverpool and current Bayern Munich midfielder Sadio Mane finished second in the voting, whilst Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne was third.
While it is a fantastic individual honor, Benzema’s attention will now turn to France’s World Cup campaign in Qatar, which kicks off in late November. With games against Australia, Tunisia, and Denmark, Les Bleus is expected to top their group. If Benzema can continue his club form from the past year and build chemistry with world-class teammates Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, and Paul Pogba at the World Cup, don’t be surprised if the French win back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles.
For those interested in betting on the World Cup, France is the second favorite behind Brazil at 11/2.
