Soccer-Benzema, Putellas win Ballon d’Or awards for finest gamers on the earth By Reuters

By Julien Pretot

PARIS (Reuters) -Actual Madrid’s France ahead Karim Benzema received the 2022 Ballon d’Or award for one of the best males’s participant on the earth on Monday, whereas Barcelona’s Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas received the ladies’s award for a second time.

Benzema, who performed a pivotal function in Actual’s run to the Champions League title final season, is the primary French participant to win the trophy since Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and the fifth after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini and Jean-Pierre Papin.

“This prize in entrance of me makes me actually proud. Once I was small, it was a childhood dream, I by no means gave up… Something is feasible,” Benzema stated on stage on the ceremony.

“There was a troublesome interval once I wasn’t within the French workforce however I by no means gave up. I am actually pleased with my journey right here. It wasn’t simple, it was a troublesome time for my household as nicely.”

Benzema beat Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane of Senegal and Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne after Argentina’s Lionel Messi received the award for a document seventh time final 12 months.

Benzema had a stellar season with Actual, scoring 44 objectives in 46 video games in all competitions as he helped information them to a LaLiga and Champions League double. His 15 objectives within the Champions League guided Actual to a record-extending 14th title.

Actual made outstanding comebacks from shedding positions within the last-16, quarter-finals and semi-finals towards Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Manchester Metropolis respectively — with Benzema scoring in every of the second legs.

The spotlight of their European marketing campaign was the 3-1 win within the second leg towards PSG when the Spanish membership had been 2-0 down on combination, with Benzema grabbing a 17-minute hat-trick within the second half to stun the Ligue 1 facet.

PUTELLAS WINS AGAIN

Spanish worldwide Putellas received the ladies’s Ballon d’Or for a second straight 12 months, beating England’s European Championship winner Beth Mead and Australia’s Sam Kerr.

Putellas, who was additionally named FIFA Greatest Girls’s Participant earlier this 12 months, was high scorer within the Champions League final season with 11 objectives and scored 18 within the Primera Division.

The 28-year-old missed the Euros for Spain, nonetheless, after struggling an anterior cruciate ligament harm on the eve of the match in England.

Actual’s Thibaut Courtois received the Lev Yashin award for one of the best goalkeeper final season, with the towering shot stopper making 9 saves within the closing to maintain a clear sheet towards Liverpool in a 1-0 victory in Paris.

Nonetheless, the groups within the Champions League closing misplaced out on the Greatest Membership award, which went to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis who received a fourth Premier League title in 5 years.

Barca’s 18-year-old midfielder Gavi picked up the Kopa Trophy for one of the best under-21 participant, whereas Bayern Munich ahead Sadio Mane received the inaugural Socrates award, with the Senegal worldwide recognised for his humanitarian efforts.

Lewandowski didn’t go residence empty handed both as he picked up the Gerd Muller Trophy for one of the best striker after scoring 50 objectives in all competitions for Bayern final season.