Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema thanked his mother for believing in his 'eternal dream' of winning the Ballon d'Or.
Benzema was crowned the world's best player for his mind-boggling achievements during the 2021-22 season with Los Blancos. The Frenchman scored a staggering 44 goals and provided 15 assists in 46 games for the Spanish giants.
He was one of the most decisive players in Carlo Ancelotti's team that won the La Liga and UEFA Champions League trophies last season.
The France international was rightfully crowned the winner of the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in Paris. While giving his winning speech, Benzema thanked his mother for believing in him and ultimately achieving a lifelong dream. He said:
“It was my mother who believed in my eternal dream of winning the Ballon d'Or.”
Karim Benzema suffered an injury this season during his club's UEFA Champions League opener against Celtic. After spending a period on the sidelines, the forward has recently returned to action and has scored five goals and provided one assist in ten games this season.
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema talks about the struggles he faced en route winning the Ballon d'Or award
Karim Benzema has always been a highly talented player. Even before joining Real Madrid, the Frenchman attracted attention from the European football fraternity with his performances for Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyon.
However, in recent years, his impact on the pitch has transcended to a whole new dimension. Speaking about the struggles and sacrifices he made to get to the position where he is today, Benzema said (via GOAL):
"This makes me really proud, all the work I did, I never gave up. I had two role models in my life, Zidane and Ronaldo as well. I always had this dream in my mind that everything’s possible. There was a difficult period where I wasn’t in the French team but I worked hard and never gave up, kept my head down and enjoyed playing football."
Benzema single-handedly won important matches for Los Blancos last season. This type of individual brilliance is quite unforeseen in the modern era. Fans will keep a keen eye on what the striker has to offer them in the coming years.