Benzema out with muscle fatigue, shows Ballon d'Or to fans

Posted October 22, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema holds the 2022 Ballon d'Or trophy prior to the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) The Associated Press

MADRID (AP) - Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema did not play for Real Madrid in Saturday's home game against Sevilla in the Spanish league because of muscle fatigue.

Real Madrid announced the news before kickoff but did not say how long Benzema will be out.

Benzema was at the Santiago BernabÃ©u to receive his Ballon d'Or award before the game. Dressed in black, Benzema received the award from former Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane and current teammate Luka Modric - both previous winners of the award - before he lifted it up and Madrid's fans applauded.

The 34-year-old Benzema won the prestigious award on Monday after leading Madrid to the Champions League and Spanish league titles last season. Two days later he played the full 90 minutes in Madrid's 3-0 win at Elche, scoring a goal.

Madrid visits Leipzig on Tuesday in the Champions League but has already locked up its place in the knockout stage.

Benzema is expected to play for France in next month's World Cup in Qatar.

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Elche's Nicolas Fernandez Mercau, left, challenges Real Madrid's Karim Benzema during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid at the Martinez Valero Stadium in Elche, Spain, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) The Associated Press

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema kisses the 2022 Ballon d'Or trophy prior to the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.