ICYMI: Real Madrid's Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d'Or on Monday

PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 17: Karim Benzema receives the Ballon d'Or award during the Ballon D'Or ceremony at Theatre Du Chatelet In Paris on October 17, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

LAST NIGHT REAL MADRID superstar Karim Benzema took home football's most prestigious award.

The French forward won the award for his displays for Los Blancos last year. Benzema had a stellar campaign, scoring 44 goals in 46 games.

His performances in Europe were a standout. On several occasions Madrid looked dead and buried, However comebacks against Chelsea, Paris Saint Germain, Manchester City and a win over Liverpool in the final cemented Benzema's claim for the prize.

Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane came second on the night, and Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne came in third place.

The Madrid sharp shooter is the first French player to win the award since Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and also becomes the oldest player to win the award since England legend Stanley Matthews in 1956.

MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 04: Karim Benzema of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final Leg Two match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on May 04, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Benzema gave a speech on the night, "To see this prize in front of me makes me really proud. It was a childhood dream for me and all the work I have done, I never gave up," he said after collecting the 2022 Ballon d'Or.

"I always had in my mind that anything was possible, when I was not in the France team I never stopped working hard.

"I am really proud of my journey here. It was not easy; it was a difficult time and also for my family as well.

"To be standing here today for the first time, I am happy for my work and will keep going."

There was other good news for Spanish teams. Barcelona and Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women's version of the award. This is the second year in a row, the Barcelona player Putellas has took home the award

"I'm very happy to be back here and pleased because a year ago I was able to win this prize and it pushed me to want to be even better," Putellas said after collecting the award

"Injuring my knee in July, I did not think it would be possible (to win this award)."

Barcelona's Gavi won the Kopa Trophy for the best performing player under-21. He came ahead of England's Jude Bellingham ahead of Madrid's Camavinga and Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala

The Socrates Award, named after Brazil's 1982 World Cup captain, for the best social initiatives within the game went to Bayern Munich forward Mane, who has helped build hospitals and school in his homeland Senegal.

The Gerd Muller trophy for the best striker again went to Poland's Robert Lewandowski, who joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich during the summer.

"I want to also thank my team-mates from both Bayern Munich and Barcelona, because I know how hard we have to work to score the goals," Lewandowski said on receiving his award.

"The whole team has to work in the same way, in the end I have to be in a good position to score the goals and ready to help my team-mates."