Revealed: How many votes did Karim Benzema receive as he won 2022 Ballon d’Or by the second-biggest margin ever?
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has won the 2022 Ballon d’Or by the second-biggest margin in history. As per Eurosport, the Frenchman defeated second-placed Sadio Mane by 356 votes to record the second-biggest Ballon d'Or triumph ever.
Benzema's former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo still holds the record for winning the Ballon d'Or by the highest-ever margin. Back in 2016, the Portuguese superstar beat his eternal rival Lionel Messi by 429 votes to win the prestigious award for the fourth time.
Benzema was the outright favorite to win his first Ballon d'Or this time out following a sensational season with Real Madrid. He played a key part for Los Blancos as they won both La Liga and the Champions League last season.
The French international finished the 2021-22 campaign as the top scorer in La Liga with 27 goals in 32 league games. He also enjoyed a phenomenal run in the Champions League, scoring 15 goals in 12 games to become the top scorer in the competition.
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In total, the striker scored a total of 44 goals in 46 games across all competitions while also producing 15 assists last season.
The Frenchman received a total of 549 votes while his closest competitor Sadio Mane received only 193. The dynamic forward also enjoyed a stellar season with Liverpool and Senegal last time out but it was not enough to beat Benzema.
The now-Bayern Munich attacker scored the winning spot-kicks for his country as Senegal won the AFCON and qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Mane also played a pivotal role for Liverpool as the Reds won the FA Cup and League Cup and narrowly out on the Champions League and Premier League.
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne finished third while Robert Lewandowski could only salvage the fourth spot. Sadio Mane's former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah secured a fifth-placed finish.
Karim Benzema deserved to win his first Ballon d'Or this year
Over the years, Benzema has been a brilliant servant to Real Madrid but has always been somewhat overshadowed by his teammates. There was a time when the Frenchman was criticized by his club's fanbase for his lack of output on the pitch.
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However, the Frenchman has always been a phenomenal team player and has taken his game to another level in the last few years. Benzema is only behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the list of highest goalscorers in the club's history, with 329 goals in 616 games.
At 34, the striker still appears to have plenty of football left in him and could continue to play an integral role for his club.