Karim Benzema: Jose Mourinho Pays Wonderful Tribute to Real Madrid Striker After Ballon d’Or Win

• Karim Benzema has been lauded as a selfless character by his former head coach at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho
• Mourinho has praised Benzema after the striker won the Ballon d'Or award after a fine season at Real Madrid
• The two spent three years together during Mourinho's reign at Santiago Bernabeu, which saw the Spanish giants win domestic trophies

Jose Mourinho has sent a glorious message to his former striker at Real Madrid, Karim Benzema, following his Ballon d'Or victory.

Benzema was finally rewarded with the highest individual gong in football following his exploits with Real Madrid last season.

The French striker led his club to La Liga and Champions League successes to beat Sadio Mane, Robert Lewandowski and Kevin De Bruyne to the 2022 prize.

AS Roma boss Mourinho hailed Benzema as someone who was obsessed with helping his team and not getting individual targets. He coached Benzema for three years, where they won the La Liga title together, among other domestic cups.

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"Karim is a great character, a great personality, a team guy. He is not obsessed with himself, he is not obsessed with the Ballon d'Or. He is just a team guy who does a lot in a way that the Ballon d'Or becomes a natural consequence. I think he is a guy obsessed with his team," as quoted by the Mirror.

Benzema will now be hoping to replicate last season's successes when he leads France to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next month. Real Madrid are also already through to the next round of the Champions League and lead La Liga standings after El Classico victory.

Benzema offers a wonderful reply after becoming the second-oldest player to win Ballon d'Or

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Karim Benzema became the second-oldest player in the history of the Ballon d'Or awards to win the coveted diadem.

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Benzema, 34, was crowned the winner of the 66th edition of the awards after a sterling campaign with Real Madrid last term.

Throughout the over six decades of the existence of the Ballon d'Or awards, the Madrid frontman became the second oldest player to win the award, only behind Stanley Matthews.