Karim Benzema of Real Madrid has won the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career.
The Frenchman is only the second player to win the award since 2008, following Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2018, Benzema’s Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric won the award.
The Ballon d’Or is given for performance in the 2021-22 season, not the calendar year. Benzema was in fine form last season, helping his team win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
In a season, the Real Madrid striker scored 44 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions.
Sadio Mane of Bayern Munich finished second, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City finished third, and Robert Lewandowski, who won the Gerd Muller award tonight, finished fourth.