Karim Benzema beat Sadio Mane to win the 2022 Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career.
The French striker was the odds-on favourite to claim the coveted award, having fired Real Madrid to Champions League glory at the expensive of Bayern Munich star Mane's now former club, Liverpool. The race was filled with footballing superstars, with Manchester City maestro Kevin De Bruyne and Barcelona ace Robert Lewandowski following in third and fourth respectively.
Current Liverpool sensation Mohamed Salah made the top five, beating Paris Saint-Germain 's Kylian Mbappe, who could well be playing for another club if he gets his way in the January transfer window. In seventh was Thibaut Courtois, who also picked up the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, having helped Real Madrid be crowned kings of Europe for a record 14th time in their illustrious history back in June.
