Karim Benzema Named UEFA Men’s Player Of The Year For The 2021/22 Season
It’s now official, Karim Benzema, the Real Madrid and France striker, has won the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award for the 2021/22 season. Benzema won an overwhelming majority of votes following his stellar performance in the 2021/22 season.
Karim Benzema Wins The UEFA Men’s Player Of The Year Award
He was already the top contender following his humongous involvement in spearheading Real Madrid’s victorious campaign in UEFA Champions League and helping his nation wins the UEFA Nations League. The award was announced during the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League group stage draw at Istambul, where Benzema prevailed over his team-mate Thibaut Courtois and City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
While accepting the award, Benzema credited the achievement to his teammates, coach, and fans.
“I want to thank my coach, president, and squad. We were able to win the games thanks to the support of our home audience, Benzema stated. “The comeback against PSG, which we could pull off with the help of the crowd, was the best day in the Champions League. Ancelotti is the best coach in the world; he gives me a lot of confidence, and he is a great professional. I’m glad he’s my coach.”
Benzema Was Already The Favorite
Like the Golden Ball, announced on October 17, Benzema was already the big favorite to win the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award. He appeared to be in his best form, and the last season was incredible for him.
Benzema bagged 44 goals in 46 games he participated in throughout last year, grabbing the second top scorer position in the history of Real Madrid.
Besides, he was the key man for Real Madrid for the strings of a spectacular comeback in Europe, most importantly the hattrick against Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. This outstanding performance helped Benzema add four trophies to his list: the Champions League, La Liga, Spanish Supercup, and European Supercup.
Fifteen players were competing for the coveted title, and last Friday, UEFA revealed three top nominees for the title of UEFA Player of the Year 2022. The Real Madrid striker was in the running with his team-mate, the Belgian Thibaut Courtois, and Manchester City’s attacking midfielder Kevin DeBruyne. However, exemplary performance on the ground put the 34-year-old French striker in pole position to win the men’s player of the year title.
No One But Benzema
It can be said that Benzema left no crumbs. With many records under his belt, he was the best choice. The heroic effort from Benzema helped his team clinch their own Champions League crown for the 14th time. Benzema scored 15 goals in the championship, ensuring he was the top scorer in the 2021-22 campaign.
Not to mention that Benzema burst the screens with his two hat tricks against Paris Saint-Germain in the 8th and Chelsea in the quarters allowing his team to make a comeback and secure a win.
The list included four current Liverpool players – Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sadio Mane, and Fabinho.
However, the monumental performance from the French striker puts him ahead of everyone. Not only did he finish far ahead of his team-mate Thibaut Courtois, the hero of the final against Liverpool, but also Kevin De Bruyne.
The PSG striker was devoid of the title for the third time in a row – he finished third in 2021 and second in 2020. Besides, many well-known names were absent from the list of contenders for the title this time. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were absent from the list signifying that two of the greatest players in the world are now past their best days.
Benzema Joins Ribery
As a result, the UEFA player of the year was announced and named Benzema for the coveted title; he also sealed another record to his name. Benzema became the second French international to win this title after Franck Ribéry, who won it in 2013.
The Champions League’s five-time winner succeeded Jorginho, who won the title in 2021. Moreover, he also became the third player to register his name on the trophy after Cristiano Ronaldo ( three times winners) and Luka Modric
These awards were decided following the votes of a jury which included the clubs that participated in the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League 2021/22, and the last group stage of the champions league.
Moreover, the jury also included prominent journalists chosen by the European Sports Media (ESM). Benzema topped the list alongside Courtois, who finished third. However, two other Madridistas secured a place in the list of 15 most prominent players – Modrić finished fifth, while Vinicius secured the ninth position.
Next to conquer for Benzema is the Ballon d’Or, scheduled for October 17. Given his spectacular form, it won’t be surprising if he grabbed the Ballon d’Or trophy as well.
