Sports
Benzema beats Lewandowski, De Bruyne to win 66th Ballon d’Or
By Funmilayo Olusanya
Benzema
Karim Benzema of Real Madrid took home the Ballon d’Or trophy for Player of the Year in 2022 on Monday night in Paris.
This would be the forward’s first Ballon d’Or of his career. The 34-year-old finished today ahead of Robert Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne, and Sadio Mane, breaking his previous record of never placing inside the top three.
At the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France, former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane gave the prize.
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The striker begins by thanking everyone and mentioning Zizou and Ronaldo as role models.
Real Madrid won both titles in the 2021–2022 season, and Benzema led all scorers in both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga of Spain.
Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo have won 12 out of the last 13 awards. Luka Modric, a midfielder for Croatia, broke the stranglehold in 2018.
Messi did not qualify for the finals this year, but Ronaldo did. Ronaldo has collected five victories, while Messi has won it a record seven times.
Real Madrid on their official English Twitter handle @realmadriden, tweeted, “It had to be @Benzema #ballondor 2022.”
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has imposed a two-match ban on Emiliano Martinez for “offensive behaviour.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) made the announcement on Saturday.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper, who plays for Aston Villa, was also found guilty of “violating principles of fair play” in two separate incidents.
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The first violation occurred during Argentina’s World Cup qualifier win over Chile on September 5, when Martinez held a replica of the Copa America trophy to his groin.
This was not the first time he had performed such a gesture, having done the same with the Golden Glove trophy after Argentina’s victory over France in the 2022 World Cup final.
In a second incident, FIFA sanctioned Martinez for striking a cameraman’s equipment with his gloves after Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Colombia on September 10.
The AFA voiced its displeasure with FIFA’s ruling, stating, “The Argentine Football Association expresses its absolute disagreement with the decision taken by the FIFA disciplinary committee.”
As a result of the ban, Martinez will miss Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela on October 10 and Bolivia on October 15.
Argentina currently leads the South American qualifying table with 18 points from eight matches, two points ahead of second-placed Colombia. Martinez’s absence will be keenly felt as the team looks to secure qualification.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League match against Qarabag has been postponed due to severe travel disruptions in London.
The announcement was made on the club’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday evening.
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According to the statement, further details regarding the rescheduling of the match are expected to follow.
The post reads, “Kick off for tonight’s fixture has been delayed due to severe travel disruption. Further information to follow.
More to follow………
The draw for the fourth round of the Carabao Cup has revealed a series of thrilling matchups that are sure to capture fans’ attention.
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In a post on Wednesday night, the fixtures, which will see some of the top teams in English football go head-to-head, include:
Brentford vs Sheffield Wednesday
Southampton vs Stoke
Tottenham vs Manchester City
AFC Wimbledon/Newcastle vs Chelsea
Manchester United vs Leicester
Liverpool vs Brighton
Arsenal vs Preston
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
These encounters promise high-stakes action as clubs compete for a coveted spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Fans can look forward to a week of intense competition as these teams battle for advancement in one of England’s most prestigious cup competitions.
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