Football News: Karim Benzema receives 2022 Ballon d'Or; Manchester City named Club of the Year

Manchester City was also named Club of the Year at the Ballon d'Or ceremony owing to a fantastic season.

Karim Benzema was selected for the award after enjoying a fantastic season with Real Madrid, racking up 44 goals to help them win the Champions League and La Liga trophies.

The 34-year-old French striker took over the role of Cristiano Ronaldo as the primary striker after the departure of the legendary Portuguese striker in 2018. Soon after, he took over the captaincy from Sergio Ramos following the Spaniard's move to Paris Saint Germain.

“ I will retire in Real Madrid. There’s no other option for me” He said after the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Karim Benzema won the golden ball after seeing off competition from Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, Sadio Mane, and Erling Haaland to get recognized as the world's best.

How is Karim Benzema performing in the 2022/23 season?

The veteran striker has scored four goals from six matches for Real Madrid as they aim to defend their La Liga trophy. However, he has failed to open the scoring in the Champions League from three appearances.

Manchester City amassed a whopping 93 points to claim the Premier League title. They earned praise for the high quality of football after receiving the most nominations for Ballon d'Or to beat Liverpool in the second place and Real Madrid in the third place.

It was the fourth Premier League victory for Pep Guardiola's side in the last five seasons. Ederson finished third in the race for Yashin Trophy, while Kevin De Bruyne finished was at the third spot for Ballon d'Or.

Manchester City currently stands at the second spot for the 2022/23 season of the Premier League with 23 points from 10 matches, four points behind Arsenal.

Barcelona's Gavi wins the Kopa Trophy as the world's best Under-21 footballer

18-year-old Gavi was the best Under-21 player in the world after winning the 2022 Kopa Trophy.

The young Barcelona striker saw off competition from Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiala, and Eduardo Camavinga to join the likes of previous winners, Kylian Mbappe, Pedro, and Matthijs de Ligt.

Gavi became a regular for the Spanish national squad and Barcelona despite his lack of experience after brustling onto the scene in 2021.

After the announcement, Gavi said, "I try and give the best of myself the whole time and try to apply myself in the best way."

The previous year's winner and teammate Pedro was delighted at Gavi picking up the award. He said, "It is a very proud thing to see Gavi win. We spend a lot of time together and I hope we are playing together for many years to come."