(Football news) Karim Benzema was presented with the UEFA Player of the Year award during the group stage draw of the UEFA Champions League. The Frenchman was a clear winner this year and it showed as he won by the biggest margin in the history of the award. Benzema got 523 points in the voting list while 2nd place Kevin De Bruyne got 122 points. Thibaut Courtois finished third with 118 points. This is the first of many individual trophies for Benzema this season as he is the outright favourite to win the Ballon D'or and FIFA The Best. 

After receiving the award Benzema said “I’m really happy and proud to be here. I thank Real Madrid, my president, my coach and my teammates. The most important thing is to win the collective trophies. When you do things right on the pitch, the individual rewards come. The most memorable moment? The return match against PSG at home with the help of the public, we managed to turn the game around to go far and give us a lot of confidence. Football is difficult. There are times when you get dominated and others when you never let go. In Madrid, you never give up. Even if we lose, we can manage to go up the score” 

Karim Benzema has had an incredible season with Real Madrid as he helped them win the La Liga and the Champions League. Benzema scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists in all competitions last season. He was the focal point of Real Madrid last season and the team always relied on him. He responded to the responsibility most of the time and delivered some good performances. Real Madrid last season didn't create a lot of chances but Benzema was super efficient in front of goal. The Frenchman's all round ability in attack naturally means that Real Madrid struggle to cope without him. The striker is 34 years of age and is entering the final stage of his career. Despite that he is showing no signs of slowing down and is close to signing a contract extension with Real Madrid.

Also read: Takeaways from UEFA Champions League 2022/23 group stage draw