Karim Benzema has won the 2022 Ballon d\'Or at a ceremony in Paris.
Benzema, 34, scored a career-best 27 times in LaLiga and was top scorer in the Champions League with 15 goals, including hat tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Benzemia finished ahead of Bayern Munich\'s Sadio Mane and Manchester City\'s Kevin de Bruyne, who came in second and third, respectively. PSG striker Kylian Mbappe came in sixth, while Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo was 20th.
\"I\'m really proud seeing this prize, it\'s been my dream since I was a kid. I grew up with this in my head, and after that I had the motivation,\" Benzema said.
\"I had two role models in my life: Zizou [Zinedine Zidane] and [Brazil legend] Ronaldo. It\'s a lot of work; I never gave up and I kept that dream in my head. Anything is possible.
\"It\'s been difficult for me. There was a time when I wasn\'t playing for the national team, but I didn\'t give up. It\'s been difficult for me and that just makes me stronger mentally. I\'m really happy with my work.\"