Karim Benzema, who is the winner of the 2022 Golden Ball – Corriere.it

How far did Karim Benzema go to get to the Chatelet theater in the heart of Paris e win his first Ballon d’Or tonight, only he knows. But at a guess it was a lot. And never mind if he started from the outskirts of Lyon, not so far from the capital: the journey was so long and tortuous that Karim The Dream, 35 years old in December, the second oldest winner after Stanley Matthews (41, in 1956). Only Modric ended the Messi-Ronaldo diarchy in 2018. And Benzema – even more than the Croatian – has offered his art to the Portuguese for many years, as the strongest and most complete of the shoulders.

Not always the wisest, given that his private conduct has also slowed down the journey, with the case of the sex tape and the blackmail of comrade Valbuena: the sentence at the end was one year with a parole, but Benzema lost the chance, due to the decision taken by the French Football Association, to play the European Championship at home in 2016 and then the World Cup won in Moscow by Mbapp and associates. But football almost always gives you a second chance, especially if you are a phenomenon, and this refined and ruthless center forward, who thinks like a number 10 and has the tools of the trade of both specialists, has made full use of it with a perfect season. and a dizzying Champions.

This year’s edition was brought forward before the World Cup. And this Benzema, who yesterday opened the Bernabeu rumba against Barcelona (the doubling was canceled due to the offside, Real won 3-1) can also hope to make an encore. But Qatar is far away, let alone the next Ballon d’Or
: now is the moment of the consecration of a unique player, who has dragged Ancelotti’s team to win a Champions League different from all the others, because as an outsider. Instead, comeback after comeback against Psg, Chelsea and City – with the ball stolen from Donnarumma and then the spoon on a penalty against the English as emotionally the highest moments – and above all goal after goal (44 in 45 games, the beauty of 15 in the Champions League ) – Benzema made the young lions understand who’s in charge: with more extra training, with a sugar-free diet based on fish and seaweed that made him almost ascetic, with a long beard, a bandaged hand and that inexorable grin after every goal, not just his.

Because Karim also has a few lion cubs at home and his relations with Vinicius Jr at first were anything but constructive (Don’t pass him the ball he was caught saying) and instead they became spectacular, like those of a couple who don’t miss a reads: the Brazilian has decided the final in Paris with Liverpool, but even then everyone knew that the Ballon d’Or would be withdrawn by Benzema. Only if they cancel the trophy could he not win it smiled Lewandowski, the best during the pandemic, when the award was abolished. A further pinprick was needed yesterday in the Clasico, but the Pole didn’t make it. Today, like yesterday, Karim’s day. And he doesn’t look like he’s the last.