Benzema Finally Has His Moment In The Sun

When the Ballon D'or comes around every year, football discourse goes into overdrive, whether this player should be higher on the twenty-five shortlist or why many defenders or midfielders are higher up the list. It's like debating who's the best rapper alive or who has the better chicken between Popeye's or KFC. France Football sure knows what they are doing. Anyways, the ceremony in Paris happened last night with some notable highlights. Gavi won the Kopa Trophy, the award for the best player under the age of 21. Ahead of the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham. Barcelona's Alexia Putellas retained the Ballon D'or Feminin over Sam Kerr and Beth Head. Robert Lewandowski won the Gerd Muller trophy (Best Striker Award), which he won last year. Sadio Mane was awarded the Socrates award for his charity work in Senegal. However, the leading moment was Karim Benzema, who dressed in a suit replicated by one of his idols Tupac being awarded the Ballon D'or trophy. Poignantly by his former coach and fellow countryman Zinedine Zidane. The last Frenchman to win the award. Though Benzema winning was inevitable, it was a deserved one and a validation of how fantastic the striker has been not from the past season but over the past four years.

In 2018, despite being an integral part of Madrid's three-peat, Benzema was not lauded as one of the best strikers around. His output from the 2017/18 season was the lowest bar his debut season, scoring just 12 goals in 47 appearances. Also, from his debut season in 2009 to 2018, he only scored 20 goals or more in La Liga twice. That's not to mention the blackmail allegation against him, which forced him into international exile from the French national team for almost five years, seeing his teammates win the World Cup without him, as Olivier Giroud was the number nine for Les Bleu. Though he had an incredible career at that point, he was never the main man for Real Madrid. He was a great partner for Cristiano Ronaldo, who was 'The Guy', while Benzema and Gareth Bale, were Ronaldo's 'Robins'. So when Ronaldo departed for Juventus, Madrid's hopes were more on Gareth Bale, whose two goals in the Champions League Final that year won Madrid the trophy. Bale couldn't do it due to constant injuries. However, this was when Benzema's 'redemption arc' truly began. 

The 2018/19 season was a disaster for Los Blancos. They finished third in La Liga, nineteen points behind winners Barcelona, eliminated by Ajax in the Champions League Round of 16 and had three managers that season. Benzema, on the other hand, scored thirty goals. He had twenty-one goals in La Liga as he was the only Madrid player to hit double figures. When Zidane came back, Benzema became one of the figureheads of Madrid, standing in a leadership position as he had more responsibility than ever before, especially in guiding the likes of Vinicius and Rodrygo. Who were raw despite how talented they were. Madrid won La Liga in 2020, with Benzema scoring 21 goals. The first time he has made twenty-plus league goals in consecutive seasons. He then followed up, scoring 23 goals the following season but Madrid lost the title to Atletico Madrid and was knocked out by Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals. A viral clip of Benzema circulated that season, criticizing Vinicius. Saying, "he's playing against us".

Last season, Benzema and his team were not fancied for La Liga or the Champions League. For the following reasons, the team was in transition, other teams like Liverpool and Manchester City being the favourites, and the question of bringing back Carlo Ancelotti was the right choice. Madrid won La Liga by a canter and the Champions League last season, where Benzema finally became 'The Guy'. The Formula 1 car. In 46 games in all competitions, Benzema scored 44 goals and made 14 assists, 27 goals in La Liga, winning the Pichichi Trophy for the first of his career. In the Champions League, he scored 15 goals, becoming the Top scorer plus winning Player of the Season. What made those fifteen goals outstanding was that ten of the fifteen were in the knockout stages. Scoring a hat trick against PSG, four goals against Chelsea and scoring three against Manchester City. Not to mention his partnership with Vinicius, who also had an incredible season in his own right.

Despite turning 35 in December, the past four seasons have been the best of Benzema's career. Maybe, what has helped him is take everyone is taking notice. He's now second in Madrid's all-time leading scorers, overtaking Raul. This has also helped his return to the France squad, playing in Euro 2020 and helping Le Bleu win the Nations League in 2021, scoring in the Final against Spain. From clapping from behind when his teammates won plaudits, now he's gaining all the plaudits. His exploits in Qatar will be heavily anticipated as France will be defending the World Cup but he's finally enjoying his moment with the Golden Ball. His video with the trophy on Twitter will be one to watch.