Benzema secures career-first Ballon d’Or

Karim Benzema has rewritten the history books after the Real Madrid forward received the Ballon d’Or, the prestigious award bestowed by France Football on the player considered to have performed the best during the previous year, for the first time in his career.

The Merengues’ striker enjoyed a stellar season last time out as he lifted the LaLiga Santander title and the Champions League, finishing top of the goalscoring charts in both competitions. The Frenchman plundered an impressive 44 goals in his 46 outings, but brought much more than goals to Real Madrid’s attack and played an instrumental role in what proved to be an unforgettable season for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

Benzema’s award extends the dominance that LaLiga players have held over the accolade in recent times. Indeed, 12 of the last 13 Ballon d’Or winners plied their trade in the Spanish top flight, which is by far the award’s most decorated league, with a total of 24 recipients, i.e. six more than the competition’s nearest pursuer in these standings.

When we look at the team rankings, Benzema’s success means that Real Madrid have now supplied 12 Ballon d’Ors, same number as FC Barcelona’s.