Ballon d’Or 2022: Former Chelsea goalie reacts to Benzema’s win

Former Chelsea and now Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in a recent statement spoke about the inability of a goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or.

This comes as Courtois finished seventh in the 2022 ranking, despite his key role for Real Madrid in the Champions League and LaLiga.

While Courtois was the number one goalkeeper on the list he was, however, placed behind teammate Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe in the shortlist.

Apart from this, the Belgian goalie picked up the prize for best goalkeeper, named after Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper to receive the Ballon d’Or in the award’s history in 1963.

“The truth is that I think it’s impossible,” Courtois said to RTVE when asked if a goalkeeper could win the award again.

“Obviously Karim deserves it, we all agree with that. But after the year I had as a goalkeeper, you win the Champions League, you win the league, you play the Champions League final and your team wins it thanks to your saves, and you only end up seventh […] that says a lot.

“The votes don’t go towards goalkeepers. In the top 10 there weren’t any defenders either. It’s what happens. It’s a bit difficult. But at least they gave me the trophy for best goalkeeper,” he added.