Breaking: Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema wins 2022 Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema became the latest recipient of the Ballon d'Or after winning the 2022 edition of the award.

The Frenchman became the first Real Madrid player since Luka Modric (2018) to win the award and the first Los Blancos forward since Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the prize.

The forward has topped the 2022 Ballon d'Or rankings for the first time in his illustrious career and has finished above the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Robert Lewandowski, among others, to claim the big prize.

The French forward came close to winning the Ballon d'Or award last time around. Benzema finished fourth in the rankings during the 2021 edition of the prestigious Ballon d'Or award. He finished behind eventual winner Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho.

Karim Benzema also became the first French player to win the Ballon d'Or award since his former manager Zinedine Zidane won it back in 1998. He is also the fifth Frenchman to win the award after Zidane, Michel Platini, Raymond Kopa and Jean-Pierre Papin.

Karim Benzema's 2021-22 season with Real Madrid was worth the Ballon d'Or award

Karim Benzema had a stellar 2021-22 season with Real Madrid. The Frenchman guided Los Blancos to the league and UEFA Champions League double with the number of goals he scored.

The former Olympique Lyonnais forward scored a staggering 44 goals and provided 15 assists in 46 games across all competitions. This includes 27 goals in La Liga which saw him win the Pichichi Trophy as the league's top scorer.

The French forward was also instrumental for Carlo Ancelotti's side as they went on to win their 14th UEFA Champions League crown. Benzema scored 15 goals from just 12 Champions League outings, including hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea in the knockout stages.

However, he did not score in the final against Liverpool in Paris earlier this year. Vinicius Junior was the sole goalscorer on that occasion as Real Madrid went on to secure a 1-0 win over the Reds.

It is worth mentioning that the Los Blancos captain has had a decent start to the 2022-23 season as well. The Real Madrid forward has scored five goals from 10 games across all competitions at the time of writing. He recently scored a goal against rivals Barcelona in the El Clasico as Carlo Ancelotti's side secured a 3-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.