Erling Haaland could become the first player in world football to make a transfer worth £1billion, according to his agent Rafaela Pimenta.

Haaland left Borussia Dortmund to join Manchester City after they activated a £51.2million (€60m) release clause in his BVB contract in May, and the striker has already begun to pay that fee back by making an incredible start to life in England.

The Norwegian became the first player to score as many as nine goals in his first five Premier League appearances in August and has already netted three hat-tricks in the competition.

Haaland has hit the net 15 times in 10 league games for City, and Pimenta, who manages the agency built by the late Mino Raiola, believes he could make history with his next move.

Asked to put a price on Haaland by Sky Sport Italia, Pimenta said: "One billion, that's what I think. 

"If you put together his football value, his image value, his sponsorship value, it is one billion, for sure.

"It's also normal to compare Erling with [Kylian] Mbappe, so you have a little bit of an idea of the market. I think Erling will be the first player to achieve a transfer around one billion." 

Haaland's incredible form has coincided with speculation linking him to Real Madrid, but Pimenta would be open to discussing a new contract with City instead of instigating a move away.

Asked whether Haaland could already be in line for a new deal, she said: "I hope so! If they want to discuss it today, I would be happy. Why not?"

However, Pimenta kept her cards close to her chest when questioned on reports claiming Haaland's current contract has a release clause allowing him to join Madrid on favourable terms. 

"The good and bad of being a lawyer is that you know what you cannot say," she added. "You don't need someone poking you, saying; 'Don't say this, don't say that'. I cannot talk about it."

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti believes Toni Kroos will extend his stay at the club beyond his current contract.

Kroos has been a core part of Los Blancos' success in the past eight years, lifting the LaLiga title on three occasions and clinching victory in the Champions League four times – including last season.

Now 32, and with fellow midfielder Luka Modric also in his twilight years, Madrid have looked to the future with the signings of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, but Kroos remains crucial for Ancelotti's side.

The Germany international has started seven of Madrid's 10 LaLiga matches this season and, while his current deal is set to expire at the end of the campaign, Ancelotti expects him to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"I've talked to him, he's very calm. He's going to think about it after the World Cup, in January or February. I think he's going to continue," he said in Friday's press conference ahead of the clash against Sevilla.

 

"His level is better than last year, he had physical problems at the beginning and then he did very well. He's at a very high level."

Kroos is set to represent Germany at the World Cup in Qatar, which begins next month, where Ancelotti expects to see matches played with a higher level of intensity compared to the usual post-season tournament.

"I think this part of the season helps, you can see a World Cup with much more intensity, they will reach the top," he added.

"In the previous ones they arrive exhausted to play the World Cup. Now they will arrive with a lot of energy."

In each of the past two seasons, there were periods where Sevilla could consider themselves genuine threats in LaLiga's title race.

That was perhaps more relevant in 2020-21, though it shouldn't be forgotten that Sevilla looked like the only team capable of stopping Real Madrid in the first half of the 2021-22 campaign.

But much has changed in 2022. They head to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday as bigger outsiders than they've been for years in this fixture.

That's certainly not to say they've ever been considered favourites against Madrid in recent memory, but there will be some Sevilla fans just hoping they can hold on to a respectable scoreline – it's a pretty significant come-down for a club that in the past three years felt they weren't far from establishing themselves as genuine title candidates.

Saturday's game will be new coach Jorge Sampaoli's first trip to either of the big two since his return, and it'll provide the clearest indication yet of what his team's ceiling is.

Jump before you're pushed

Julen Lopetegui should've left Sevilla in pre-season. It was clear even then that the team needed an injection of fresh ideas, and the departures of Diego Carlos and Jules Kounde – Sevilla's bedrock for three seasons – seemed like a natural indicator of the required change.

During Lopetegui's time at the club, Sevilla were solid at the back but fairly unremarkable in attack. He'll have known his go-to centre-back partnership – arguably the best of its kind in Europe – was going to be lost, so Sevilla would either need to sign another exceptional pairing – unlikely – or buy a dependable striker.

 

Granted, Lopetegui can only work with the group of players provided to him by sporting director Monchi, so it's not all on him. However, in the early weeks of the season there was no sign of an improvement in attack, and the insurance policy represented by a sturdy defence was no longer there.

The result? Sevilla's five points after the first seven league games of the season was their worst at that stage since 1996-97 (four points). They were relegated that campaign.

That was their record following a 2-0 home defeat by Atletico Madrid at the start of October, a loss that essentially ended Lopetegui's reign. A few days later, he was dismissed right after the 4-1 battering by Borussia Dortmund, though it was clear a decision on his future had already been made as he tearfully waved farewell to supporters from the middle of the pitch at full-time.

The 4-1 defeat to BVB was Sevilla's fourth loss by at least two goals this season, three more than in the entirety of 2021-22.

 

A Europa League title, three successive fourth-placed finishes, a new club-record points total for one season (77) – Lopetegui did a fine job on the whole, but their form in the second half of last season hinted at a decline.

Their haul of 32 points after the turn of the year (20 matches) was only the sixth-most in LaLiga and 13 fewer than Barcelona. Before January, they'd amassed 38 points in two fewer games – only Madrid (46, 19 matches) had more.

That hint of decline proved to be more like a foreshadowing.

Back to the Future

There aren't many players or coaches who return to Sevilla. Those that do generally fall into one of two categories: fan favourite returning to see out their later years in top-level football; individual whose 'big move' away didn't go as planned and is hoping to rebuild their reputation.

The latter category is more fitting for Sampaoli.

French football fans might suggest that's doing his Marseille work a disservice, and maybe it is. After all, he did guide them to only their second runners-up finish in nine seasons last term, steadying the ship after arriving at a time of great unrest.

However, even with that, it's fair to suggest Sampaoli's stock still hasn't fully recovered to where it was when he first left Sevilla in 2017. At that point, he'd been successful in three consecutive jobs with Universidad de Chile, Chile's national team and then Sevilla, whom he guided to a first top-four finish in seven years playing vibrant football – along the way, they were also the team to halt Madrid's Spanish-record unbeaten run of 40 matches.

 

Argentina came calling, and given the coach's reputation at the time, expectations were sky-high. But turbulence in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup showed Sampaoli and La Albiceleste weren't necessarily a good fit. He just about got them to Russia but their campaign was chaotic, with a 3-0 defeat to Croatia leading to an apparent confrontation between players and coaching staff.

A 2-1 win over Nigeria got Argentina out of the group, but eventual champions France were up next and Les Bleus edged a modern classic 4-3 in Kazan – unsurprisingly it was Sampaoli's final game in charge.

Whether the fiasco made Sampaoli a pariah in European football terms is difficult to prove. But in a little over a year he went from one of the most sought-after and promising coaches in the world to being virtually forgotten in Europe, with his next two jobs coming in Brazil with Santos and Atletico Mineiro.

The aforementioned bright spell with Marseille provided Europe with a reminder of Sampaoli's charms; his boisterous personality, his often-chaotic brand of football. In many ways he was the perfect man for Marseille, a club from a city that is unapologetically itself and intense.

Seville has some similar characteristics, particularly in its deep passion for its football clubs, and there's undoubtedly a sense Sampaoli has unfinished business in LaLiga and at Sevilla.

Four games in and he's yet to lose – a trip to the Santiago Bernabeu is no ordinary task, however. In fact, Sampaoli's last away game during his first spell at Sevilla was a 4-1 defeat to Madrid, who all but wrapped up the 2016-17 title with that victory.

Of course, what happens at the Bernabeu won't define Sevilla's season. They have a long road and rebuild ahead of them; let's not forget, this is a squad built for Lopetegui, yet he and Sampaoli are very different coaches.

Re-energising the team is Sampaoli's task, and if he succeeds, his reputation will be restored. Saturday provides an opportunity for a depleted Sevilla to show they're at least making positive strides. 

Manchester United have reached the end of their tether with Cristiano Ronaldo and want the superstar out of the club as soon as January, reports say.

The apparent refusal by Ronaldo to come on as a substitute against Tottenham on Wednesday, before flouncing off before the final whistle, has led to the striker being barred from playing any part in this weekend's Premier League clash with Chelsea.

Now Ronaldo may have played his last game for the club, unless bridges can be rebuilt.

TOP STORY – RONALDO'S UNITED FUTURE IN DOUBT

Ronaldo's last visible matchday act as a Manchester United player could turn out to be the moment he walked down the tunnel before the final whistle blew in the Spurs game.

That act looks to have been one of rebellion, with widespread reports now stating Ronaldo had declined to come off the bench late in the game.

According to the i newspaper and The Sun, among others, United boss Erik ten Hag has decided enough is enough and the time has come to part ways with the 37-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Ronaldo's performances in his second United stint have been mixed, and amid diminishing returns Ten Hag is said to want Ronaldo moved on to another club in January, or for his contract to be terminated. Ronaldo's deal runs to the end of this season.

There appeared to be a dearth of suitors during the last transfer window when Ronaldo looked keen on a move, so arranging a transfer for the former Real Madrid star may not be straightforward, unless of course he excels with Portugal at the World Cup.

ROUND-UP

- Ruben Neves has unfinished business at Porto and the 25-year-old Wolves midfielder has revealed he wants to return to the Primeira Liga giants while still in his prime years. He left at the age of 20 to join his current club. Portugal international Neves told Canal 11: "Returning to FC Porto is something I really want to happen, but it's impossible to say when. I hope I'm in the best conditions and that they still want me. I don't know how I'll be in a few years, but my goal is not to go to FC Porto to finish my career, but to win titles. I was there for three years and I didn't win."

- Andriy Lunin has shown himself to be a handy deputy for Thibaut Courtois in the Real Madrid goal, but will he stay at Santiago Bernabeu? Mundo Deportivo says the Ukrainian goalkeeper could leave before the end of his contract, which runs to 2024, if he becomes frustrated with life on the bench, with the newspaper suggesting Madrid would not stand in his way.

Lazio are said to be looking for back-up for Ciro Immobile, their experienced Italy striker, and have reportedly got their eye on two Spain-based forwards. According to Corriere dello Sport, the players being eyed by Maurizio Sarri are Elche's Argentine frontman Lucas Boye and Sevilla's Spaniard Rafa Mir.

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali does not believe many clubs are interested in a revival of the Super League, despite a new proposal for the competition being in development.

The Super League's launch failed in spectacular fashion last year, with nine of the 12 founding clubs withdrawing in the face of fan, media and player pressure.

While all six English members quickly reversed their support for the competition, Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as Juventus, remain committed to the project.

Media executive Bernd Reichart has been recruited to head up plans for a relaunch, and said on Wednesday: "Even fans will have a lot of sympathy for the idea".

However, Eghbali – part of the Todd Boehly-led consortium which acquired Chelsea earlier this year, says "vocal" duo Barca and Madrid are those most interested. 

"I think the sport needs more premium high-quality matches and content, but it doesn't have to be a Super League," Eghbali said at an event in New York on Wednesday. 

"Todd went there on an All-Star Game, the baseball talent competition or draft generates £200million to £300million of revenue on a Monday or Tuesday each year, none of that exists in the English Premier League. 

"Could there be a Premier League versus Serie A game? Could you see pre-season matches producing more premium content on the pitch? You could.

"But structurally, given how botched that episode was, does anybody have any appetite for something like that? A couple of teams in Spain do and they are vocal about it, but everyone else doesn't want to go there anymore."

Reichart, however, claims the Super League project is "very alive", though he was keen to stress the ability to qualify through sporting merit must exist in any reworked format.

"[The Super League is] very alive, there are some who want to declare that it is dead, but if they say it a lot, there is much to suspect," he told Cadena SER on Wednesday.

"There are clubs in Europe that surely share the vision of Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, and now they have the opportunity to contribute what they think.

"It is a long road, but we have the humility to do it step by step, but without pause. The hand is extended to all the members of European football, we want to be inclusive.

"The concept of a fixed position is not something that we are currently contemplating. The design of the format ultimately has to be the result of dialogue, but we don't have a predefined format, the dialogue we propose is real and that's why I don't want to speculate on how it will definitely be. Sporting merit will be applied to all members of that Super League."

Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly all interested in 21-year-old Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Fernandez arrived at Benfica from River Plate just four months ago in June for a fee of €10million, and immediately took the Primeira Liga by storm, with the league naming him August's player of the month.

He has since helped Benfica to an undefeated record in both the league (8W 1D) and the Champions League (2W 2D), playing in every game, and his exploits in back-to-back draws against Paris Saint-Germain seem to have convinced some of the world's top clubs that he is up to the level.

TOP STORY – WORLD POWERHOUSES CLAMOUR FOR 21-YEAR-OLD BENFICA MIDFIELDER

According to a report from Sport, Barcelona had the chance to sign Fernandez for €10m but opted against it, allowing Benfica to swoop in, and he is now said to be valued at over €50m.

That figure could continue to rise as well. Having made his senior international debut for Argentina in September, Fernandez could play a significant role in his country's World Cup campaign as they enter the tournament on a 35-match unbeaten streak.

The report claims Barcelona will face opposition from Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea, and while there is no indication that Benfica would be willing to let Fernandez go six months into a five-year contract, the club that specialise in turning a profit in the transfer market could be faced with an offer they cannot refuse.

ROUND-UP

– 90min is reporting Chelsea have made Napoli striker Victor Osimhen their priority forward target, following reports they are also heavily interested in RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku and Lille's Jonathan David.

– According to Sky Sport in Germany, Everton have also been keen on Lille's David, with the 22-year-old Canadian tied with Neymar for the most goals in Ligue 1 this season (nine in 11 games).

– The Evening Standard is reporting Chelsea are also weighing up moves for Borussia Dortmund's teenage English star Jude Bellingham, as well as West Ham's Declan Rice.

Arsenal are said to be joining Barcelona and Real Madrid in the chase of 16-year-old Palmeiras striker Endrick, per FourFourTwo.

– Calciomercato claims Milan are considering a move for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech in January, with Chelsea said to be open to a loan move for the 29-year-old.

Federico Valverde has joked he does not want to be responsible for Carlo Ancelotti's retirement, after the Real Madrid head coach issued him with a 10-goal target for the season.

The Uruguayan is already well on the way to that landmark after opening the scoring in the 3-0 win against Elche to take his tally for the campaign to six across all competitions, with the win marking Madrid's ninth in 10 LaLiga matches.

That goal sees Valverde equal the tally he had achieved in his first 148 matches for Los Blancos and Ancelotti is confident he will exceed the double-figure mark this term.

"He has to have that responsibility. We have a bet, I think he will score more than 10 this season," he told DAZN after the match.

"He's a very important player for us. The energy he has is incredible. He has to score 10."

Valverde is determined to hit that landmark and does not want to disappoint Ancelotti, joking that he will not be the reason for the retirement of the Italian coach.

"I'm focused on doing it. It's a nice pressure. I don't want to be to blame for the coach retiring," he told DAZN.

Madrid's victory against Elche came despite seeing three goals, all scored by Karim Benzema, disallowed by VAR for offside, with Valverde acknowledging the "weird" feeling of having an effort chalked off.

"You have to get used to it. It's weird, you celebrate the goal and you think you're comfortable. They cancel one, then another and then another," he added.

Federico Valverde has joked he does not want to be responsible for Carlo Ancelotti's retirement, after the Real Madrid head coach issued him with a 10-goal target for the season.

The Uruguayan is already well on the way to that landmark after opening the scoring in the 3-0 win against Elche to take his tally for the campaign to six across all competitions, with the win marking Madrid's ninth in 10 LaLiga matches.

That goal sees Valverde equal the tally he had achieved in his first 148 matches for Los Blancos and Ancelotti is confident he will exceed the double-figure mark this term.

"He has to have that responsibility. We have a bet, I think he will score more than ten this season," he told DAZN after the match.

"He's a very important player for us. The energy he has is incredible. He has to score ten."

Valverde is determined to hit that landmark and does not want to disappoint Ancelotti, joking that he will not be the reason for the retirement of the Italian coach.

"I'm focused on doing it. It's a nice pressure. I don't want to be to blame for the coach retiring," he told DAZN.

Madrid's victory against Elche came despite seeing three goals, all scored by Karim Benzema, disallowed by VAR for offside, with Valverde acknowledging the "weird" feeling of having an effort chalked off.

"You have to get used to it. It's weird, you celebrate the goal and you think you're comfortable. They cancel one, then another and then another," he added.

Real Madrid extended their unbeaten streak this season to 15 games across all competitions with a 3-0 LaLiga victory against Elche, despite seeing three goals disallowed by VAR.

Federico Valverde opened the scoring with a fine strike from outside the box, his sixth goal of the season, with Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio sealing the result in the second half.

The Frenchman's goal came after he had seen three attempts disallowed by VAR for offside, which could have been decisive had Carlos Clerc headed home a glorious opportunity for an equaliser.

Andriy Lunin's save kept him at bay, however, with Benzema's goal then ensuring there would be no comeback and Asensio adding further gloss to the scoreline late on.

A frantic start saw Benzema tap home after six minutes, though the effort was disallowed for offside, but Valverde's strike just five minutes later did count, smashing home from outside the box after Vinicius Junior's shot was deflected into his path.

Three minutes before the half hour mark, Benzema was again frustrated by VAR after a second goal for the freshly crowned Ballon d'Or winner was chalked off, leaving Elche still in the game at the interval.

Benzema's frustrations would continue in the second period, the Frenchman seeing a goal disallowed for the third time by VAR for offside in the build-up on the hour mark.

Clerc should have made Real regret those spurned opportunities heading into the final 20 minutes but his header from close range was kept out by Lunin, who until that point had little to do throughout. 

Any hope of a late comeback for the hosts was quelled when Benzema finally got his goal, playing a neat one-two with Rodrygo and slotting home, with Asensio then delicately cushioning a volley over Edgar Badia to extend the advantage.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been fined €602 for storming into the referee's changing room after his team's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday.

First-half goals from Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde left Barcelona facing a 2-0 deficit at the break, but a Ferran Torres strike with seven minutes to play gave the visitors hope.

That was soon extinguished though as a VAR review led to the award of a Madrid penalty after Eric Garcia tripped Rodrygo, who scored from the spot to secure three points for his side and condemn Xavi's men to defeat.

The result sparked a furious reaction from Laporta, who confronted referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez in the official's changing room after the match.

The Competition Committee fined him on Wednesday, citing article 133 of the disciplinary code, which relates to non-compliance with orders, as well as article 255, which stipulates those who access the changing rooms when they are not allowed to face potential sanctions.

Sunday's defeat saw Madrid leapfrog Barca to the top of LaLiga, another blow for Laporta's team after their Champions League hopes were left hanging by a thread following a 3-3 home draw against Inter last week.

Karim Benzema "learned a lot" from Cristiano Ronaldo but was also "overshadowed" by his former Real Madrid team-mate, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner's academy coach told Stats Perform.

Madrid captain Benzema was named the world's best footballer by France Football for the first time in Paris on Monday.

The France forward was a deserving winner, having been Madrid's outstanding performer in scoring 44 goals in 2021-22 as they won LaLiga and the Champions League.

It was by far the most prolific campaign of Benzema's career, although his goalscoring form had already seen an upturn since Ronaldo's 2018 departure.

Benzema scored only 12 goals in 2017-18 as Ronaldo's final season at the Santiago Bernabeu ended with a fourth European crown alongside the former Lyon man. Benzema's fifth followed this year without Ronaldo.

Many might now wonder how Benzema's career could have panned out had he not joined Madrid in the same transfer window as Ronaldo back in 2009.

But Armand Garrido, an academy coach at Lyon between 1989 and 2019, pointed out to Stats Perform the ways in which Benzema also profited from playing with Ronaldo.

"Yes, the fact of playing with Cristiano Ronaldo, he was overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo," Garrido said in an exclusive interview. "But at the same time, yes, he learned a lot with Cristiano Ronaldo.

"He certainly learned how to work, how to train, how to keep a healthy lifestyle.

"Nowadays, there are other players like Cristiano Ronaldo, who are old compared to the kind of players we can be expecting at a very high level, and [Ronaldo] is still playing at top level.

"So, yes, Benzema learned a lot from Cristiano, but he was also overshadowed by Cristiano."

Benzema will now be remembered as a Madrid great, but Garrido added: "When he leaves to sign for Real Madrid, my first thought was that he's crazy; he chose the toughest club.

"Not [crazy] to join Real, of course, but maybe [it would be better] joining before another club superior to Olympique Lyonnais.

"We did not think that it was the best way to earn a place at Real Madrid, but when he does it, it is when we realise that he's a world-class player."

Neymar hailed the "deserved" choice of Karim Benzema as Ballon d'Or winner, after the Real Madrid star claimed the prestigious honour for the first time on Monday.

But the Paris Saint-Germain attacker criticised the eighth-place finish for Benzema's Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior, with the Brazil international declaring his fellow Selecao star should have finished in the top three at a "minimum".

Benzema was crowned the world's greatest player for the 2021-22 season at a ceremony earlier this week, succeeding Neymar's PSG club-mate Lionel Messi while beating out Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane to top spot.

It came after a campaign that saw him lead Carlo Ancelotti's side to success in LaLiga and the Champions League, scoring 44 goals and adding 15 assists.

Neymar, who was not nominated this year, took to social media a day after the presentation to hail Benzema's victory, but added that Vinicius, another key Madrid star last term, deserved greater recognition.

"Benzema deserved [it - he's the] crack!" the attacker wrote on Twitter. "Now, for Vini Jr to be eighth - it's not possible! Minimum top three!"

After arguably the toughest domestic season of his career to date last term, Neymar looks to be back to his best this season, with nine goals and seven assists in Ligue 1 so far.

Benzema meanwhile has struggled with fitness issues, restricting the 34-year-old to just four goals and one assist in LaLiga.

Neymar hailed the "deserved" choice of Karim Benzema as Ballon d'Or winner, after the Real Madrid star claimed the prestigious honour for the first time on Monday.

But the Paris Saint-Germain attacker criticised the eighth-place finish for Benzema's Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior, with the Brazil international declaring his fellow Selecao star should have finished in the top three at a "minimum".

Benzema was crowned the world's greatest player for the 2021-22 season at a ceremony earlier this week, succeeding Neymar's PSG club-mate Lionel Messi while beating out Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane to top spot.

It came after a campaign that saw him lead Carlo Ancelotti's side to success in LaLiga and the Champions League, scoring 44 goals and adding 15 assists.

Neymar, who was not nominated this year, took to social media a day after the presentation to hail Benzema's victory, but added that Vinicius, another key Madrid star last term, deserved greater recognition.

"Benzema deserved [it - he's the] crack!" the attacker wrote on Twitter. "Now, for Vini Jr to be eighth - it's not possible! Minimum top three!"

After arguably the toughest domestic season of his career to date last term, Neymar looks to be back to his best this season, with nine goals and seven assists in Ligue 1 so far.

Benzema meanwhile has struggled with fitness issues, restricting the 34-year-old to just four goals and one assist in LaLiga.

Karim Benzema will need to perform well for France at the upcoming World Cup to "justify his status" as Ballon d'Or winner, claims Michel Platini.

Benzema finished a career-best 2021-22 season with 44 goals, while adding 15 assists as he helped fire Real Madrid to a LaLiga and Champions League double.

The 34-year-old's stunning campaign was enough to see off the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Sadio Mane to win his first Ballon d'Or, having previously been nominated 10 times without taking home the trophy.

But Platini, who won Ballon d'Or awards in three consecutive years between 1983 and 1985, believes there is now more pressure on Benzema to perform at the World Cup in Qatar, starting next month.

"He reached the grail with the Ballon d'Or," Platini told RMC Sport. "He has a big responsibility being the best player in the world and the World Cup is coming up.

"He will have to be on top to justify his status."

Benzema returned from a six-year exodus with the national team for Euro 2020, scoring four goals in four appearances as France crashed out at the round of 16 stage.

He will hope to help Les Blues defend their World Cup crown, beginning with their opening group match against Australia on November 22, though Platini believes Benzema is already well on his way to becoming a France footballing icon.

"Benzema is becoming a legend of French football," Platini added. "Winning a Ballon d'Or brings you into the ranks of great footballers."

Thibaut Courtois suggested the Yashin Trophy had been "invented" to appease goalkeepers as he struggled to understand his seventh-placed Ballon d'Or finish – scepticism that was shared by Iker Casillas.

Keeper Courtois' Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema took the top award in Monday's Paris ceremony, named the best player in the world by France Football.

Benzema was a deserving winner, as Courtois himself acknowledged, having scored 44 goals in 46 games as Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League in 2021-22. He netted two hat-tricks among a record-equalling 10 goals in the Champions League knockout stage.

But Courtois was also a part of those two triumphs and had an equally vital role in the European success, making nine saves in the final against Liverpool – a record since Opta data was first gathered in 2003-04 and worth 2.5 prevented goals, according to expected goals on target data.

The Belgium international beat Liverpool's Alisson to the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the world's best goalkeeper, yet he felt he should have fared better in the overall ranking.

"First of all, I want to say that I am very happy for Karim Benzema," Courtois told Cadena SER.

"It seems that it is better to score a goal than to stop one. It is a battle that remains to be won. Seeing the logic of the vote, I had no chance of finishing very high, nor of winning it of course.

"I'm not saying I had to win it! But you win La Liga, the Champions League, your team wins thanks to your saves... and you only finish seventh. You're not even on the podium.

"In the top 10, there wasn't even a defender. At least this year they invented the trophy for the best goalkeeper."

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Courtois shared a post from former Madrid keeper Casillas, which read: "I'm happy for Thibaut Courtois! By far he is the best goalkeeper in the world.

"What I'm not happy about is not having put him on the final podium for the Ballon d'Or. I still don't understand what those who choose this award are based on."

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