Karim Benzema is 'really proud' of the work he did to win the 2022 Ballon d'Or. He also pays tribute to two football idols.

The Frenchman has been a key player for Real Madrid in the Champions League and Spanish league - in just 46 games Benzema has scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists, helping him win two titles.

Also, the attacker returned to the France national team in 2021 after not being used since 2015. There he contributed ten goals in 16 games.

After receiving the prize, Benzema said on stage: "It makes me really proud, I've never given up working so much."

He added, paying tribute to his role models present: "I had two role models in my life: [Zinedine] Zidane and also Ronaldo [Lima]. I always had this dream in my mind that anything is possible. There was a difficult time in I wasn't in the France national team, but I worked hard, never gave up and enjoyed playing football."

"I'm really proud of my journey here. It wasn't easy, it was difficult for me and my family. Being here today is the first time for me. I'm just very, very happy, thanks to my teammates, Real Madrid and the national team."

Addressed Zidane announced at the ceremony that he sees Benzema as his 'little brother' as they have a lot in common.

This article was originally published on 90min.com as What Karim Benzema says about his Ballon d'Or.