To pinpoint the exact moment when Karim Benzema set his sights on winning the Golden Ball, one must look beyond the Champions League final. While winning the tournament was crucial to his aspirations, it was not until a month prior that the Real Madrid striker “knew” he could secure the award. This was due to his phenomenal performance, including two hat-tricks in matches against PSG and Chelsea. In just 17 minutes, Benzema helped overturn the game against PSG, setting the stage for his eventual triumph. However, it was not a single moment or match that secured his victory, but rather a month-long period from March 9 to April 6 in which every touch of the ball was transformed into gold.
Real Madrid’s Benzema delivered a remarkable performance against PSG, scoring a hat-trick that saved his team’s Champions League hopes. After being defeated 1-0 in the first leg and facing a disadvantage in the second leg at home due to Mbappe’s goals, Real Madrid was on the verge of elimination. However, Benzema stepped up to the challenge and scored three goals in just 17 minutes, including two in quick succession. His incredible form continued as he led Real Madrid to pass the 1/8 round and eliminate another European giant, Chelsea. In the first leg, he scored a hat-trick to secure a 3-1 lead, and he scored the decisive strike in extra time in the second leg after Chelsea came back from 3-1 down. With these impressive performances, Benzema won the 2022 Golden Ball, while Lewandowski failed to make it into the top three. He scored a total of 10 goals in just five matches, extending his magical month in the Champions League by a few more days.
Benzema proved to be the deciding factor in the game against Chelsea yet again. In the first leg of the semi-finals against Man City, he managed to score two goals despite Real’s 3-4 loss, and in the second leg, he coolly converted a penalty in extra time to secure a 3-1 victory for his team. Although he didn’t manage to find the back of the net in the final against Liverpool, it seemed likely that Benzema would be awarded the Golden Ball at the time.
