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Karim Benzema became the fifth Frenchman to win the Ballon d’Or on Monday. The press is unanimous on the merit of the attacker and captain of Real Madrid after his exceptional season.
The coronation of Karim Benzema at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday made the rounds of the world press. The Madrid native won the Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious individual award in football, at the age of 34.
Unsurprisingly, it was France Football, which has organized the Ballon d’Or since 1956, which got the ball rolling by unveiling the cover of its special issue as soon as the prize was awarded: “un si BO rêve”, he says. , playing between the consonance of the consecrated abbreviation for the reward and the adjective “beautiful”.
L’Équipe followed in the footsteps of the weekly with its front page. The leading sports daily in France explains that the “Ballon [est] at home”. For its part, the regional newspaper “Le Progrès” believes that the child of Bron, located in the agglomeration of Lyon, has now entered “into the legend”.
Le Républicain lorrain is the only other regional daily with Le Courier Picard to place Benzema on its front page, to underline the “planetary consecration” of “KB9”.
At the party in Spain
In Spain, where he has been playing since 2009, Karim Benzema’s victory made the front page of sports newspapers. As, the pro-Real Madrid daily, recalls that he waited faithfully in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo before stepping into the spotlight. The Spanish newspaper says: “He was seen as Ronaldo’s partner for years. But now it’s his turn to shine”.
The pro-Barça newspapers logically make him share the front page with Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas, who has retained her crown. “Justified and golden,” says Marca, while the Sports world parle “d’or pur”.
In Italy, England or Germany, the newspapers did not go so far as to devote their coverage to Karim Benzema. On the other hand, the editorial staff of the Daily Mail speaks of a “deserved reward given the form shown by the 34-year-old player” while the Gazzetta dello Sport and Bild respectively salute “the triumph of Karim” and the “new king of the soccer”.
