Zidane not surprised Benzema won Ballon d'Or as striker pays tribute to Tupac
Being such a special day, Karim decided to pay tribute to one of his idols, the rapper Tupac.
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema won the 2022 Men's Ballon d'Or award at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday, October 17.
Following the triumph, former Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane hailed the 34-year-old as the best-ever French striker in history.
The Frenchman was instrumental as Real Madrid ran riot on their way to claiming both the Liga title and the UEFA Champions League crown last season, contributing 44 goals and 15 assists across competitions.
He also led France to claim the UEFA Nations League last year, scoring once in the 2-1 victory over Spain in the final. Accolades have been raining on the striker over the last few months, with the Ballon d'Or being the latest silverware added to his cabinet.
Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane had the privilege to present the award to the striker, with whom he worked together at the Santiago Bernabeu a few years ago. Speaking after the event, the tactician showered praise on Karim Benzema, rating the 34-year-old as the best striker in France's history; above Jean-Pierre Papin and Michel Platini.
“The best striker in the history of French football? Everyone has their favorite player," the tactician told L'Equipe. "Some people will tell you it’s Jean-Pierre Papin with his exceptional goals, others will talk about Michel Platini."
"For me, it’s Karim, yes, because I’ve been around him and I know what he’s worth. In any case, he deserves to be very high. I wish him to continue for a long time to go for records and to shine on the field, with Real Madrid and with the French team. He is capable of going even higher."
By winning the Ballon d'Or , Benzema became the fifth French player to claim the accolade after the likes of Zidane, Papin, Platini and Kopa. He also joined Luka Modric to become the second player other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to lay hands on the coveted prize since 2008.
Being such a special day, Karim decided to pay tribute to one of his idols, the rapper Tupac.
Karim has a deep admiration for music icon Tupac Amaru Shakur and chose to pay tribute to him on what was one of the best days of his life.
The star of the French national team also wore an outfit almost identical to the one the rapper and actor, who was murdered in 1996, wore to one of the galas where he was presented with a music award.
The outfit has two special details: a kind of bow tie knotted around the neck and a pair of thin rimmed glasses that stand out above all else. Otherwise, the outfit is simple: black blazer, white shirt and black trousers.
