Golden ball: Benzema crowned with the second biggest gap in history, the first details of the votes – RMC Sport

Four days after Karim Benzema was awarded the 66th Ballon d’Or in history, the first results of journalists’ votes began to filter through. And the French striker was crowned with the second biggest gap in the history of the trophy on his runner-up, the Senegalese Sadio Mané. 24 years after one of his idols, Zinedine Zidane, Karim Benzema was crowned Ballon d’ gold, Monday, October 17, at the end of the ceremony of presentation of the prestigious trophy organized at the Châtelet theater, in Paris. A few days after the Real Madrid player’s consecration, the first elements on the extent of the Frenchman’s victory over his suitors are beginning to appear. “KB9” well ahead of Mané detail, the journalists’ votes, El Chiringuito reveals this Friday that “KB9” has largely outstripped its runner-up, the Senegalese Sadio Mané. Indeed, 356 votes separate the tricolor international and the Liverpool player, the second largest gap in the history of the Ballon d’Or. Only Cristiano Ronaldo had done better in 2016, winning with 429 votes difference over his rival Lionel Messi. In total, the former Lyonnais, author of 44 goals in all competitions last season – in addition to his titles in La Liga and in the Champions League – counts 549 votes in his favour. For its part, the Daily Mail reveals that Kevin de Bruyne, third in the standings, only missed second place by 18 votes. It’s even more for Robert Lewandowski, fourth just five lengths from the Belgian. As a reminder, this year, the criteria for awarding the Ballon d’Or have undergone an overhaul. The “individual performances” and the “decisive and impressive character of the contenders” are the number 1 criterion, ahead of “the collective aspect and the trophies won” and “the player’s class and his sense of fair play”. The player’s entire career is no longer taken into account, to avoid the risk of a “preserve”, a fault of the past with 12 coronations shared between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 13 years. The jury was also reviewed, with a tightening to 100 voters, journalists from the 100 first nations in the Fifa ranking (against 170 previously), and 50 voters for the Women’s Ballon d’Or. The votes concerning the top 10 of the Ballon d ‘orKarim Benzema – 549 votesSadio Mané – 193 votesKevin De Bruyne – 175 votesRobert Lewandowski – 170 votesMohamed Salah – 116 votesKylian Mbappé – 85 votesThibaut Courtois – 82 votesVinicius Junior – 61 votesLuka Modric – 20 votesErling Haaland – 18 votes