Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema Wins Ballon d’Or, First French Football Winner Since 1995
Lyon midfielder Paul Pogba wins Golden Ball for best player of 2017 at FIFA Ballon d’Or awards. Read the full article
The Ballon d’Or will have the biggest impact on the next generation of footballers. This year’s award was announced in a ceremony at Zurich’s legendary Old World on Sunday night. As football fans all over the world watched this year’s finalists on television, many were wondering who the next big footballer would win.
Karim Benzema won the award for best player in the world. The 19-year-old forward captured the most prestigious individual prize in international football this year.
Benzema is the first Frenchman in nearly 30 years to win the Ballon d’Or, since Thierry Henry won the award during the 1995-96 season for his goal in the semi-final of the Champions League against Juventus.
Pogba, meanwhile, claimed the Golden Ball as best player of 2017. In addition to being one of the best players he has ever played with, Pogba helped Lyon win the French title this season.
There was disappointment at a number of sides during the campaign, along with the expectation that the big clubs would deliver the world’s best players. Manchester City were expected to be the dominant force, however they ended up being disappointed in both the Premier League and FA Cup. Internazionale, on the other hand, did well and finished second in Serie A, and won the Europa League.
The biggest surprise of the season was that Real Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool with a controversial 1-0 loss in the round of 16. The shock defeat sparked outrage among football fans across the country and Europe in general.
It also meant that Barcelona, having taken down Real Madrid in the La Liga, were the next big club to suffer defeat in the Champions League. The two clubs