Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is set to be crowned Ballon d’Or winner during Monday night’s ceremony in Paris.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won 12 of the last 13 Ballons d'Or, dominating the male side of the sport since 2008. Luka Modric is the sole outlier, claiming the award in 2018, and it's expected that another Madrid star will break the duopoly this time around.
Benzema is set to be crowned as the champion having narrowly missed out on a place on the podium in last year’s ceremony, when Messi pipped Robert Lewandowski to the crown with Chelsea midfielder and Italy international Jorginho ranking third.