Karim de la crème: Benzema tops the class to claim Ballon d'Or

Karim Benzema (left) received the Ballon d'Or award next to his mother, Malika, during the 2022 Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Paris. AFP - FRANCK FIFE

"Sweet dreams are made of this," insisted Annie Lennox in the Eurthymics' hit in 1983. And, to riff on the next line from the song, who are we to disagree? Especially after French football champion Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

As a wannabe wonder boy in the Bron district of Lyon, Benzema outlined a trinity of dreams.