Some time ago in Madrid the campaign for the Ballon d'Or had focused on Karim Benzema. It started last season and intensified in the current one. The French striker has been differential and decisive like few others in the transcendental games, but in this second part of the season in which the white double has been consummated, a tough competitor has emerged in the locker room.
Real Madrid's fourteenth Champions League cannot be explained without Benzema. Nor without Thibaut Courtois. That domain in both areas has ultimately been definitive in achieving the two titles of the Madrid club. So much so that the Belgian goalkeeper, after a dazzling final against Liverpool, adds up to be considered the best footballer in the world, and not only under the sticks, even though Benzema is the favourite.
It may seem paradoxical that the person in charge of avoiding the goal, causing the euphoria in the beautiful game, is rewarded in an individual section historically reserved for attackers with few exceptions. However, Courtois' prominence in the demanding qualifiers against PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City, coupled with his display at the Stade de France, open up the possibility of a different scenario this time around.
Only once in history has a goalkeeper been awarded the Ballon d'Or. It was in 1963, when it was received by the legendary Lev Yashin. The goalkeeper who made a career at Dinamo Moscow was at a high level in the '62 World Cup in Chile with the Soviet Union and the journalists in charge of voting took into account the merits of the Black Spider.
Since then, no other goalkeeper has ever been named player of the year. Dino Zoff was behind Johan Cruyff in 1973 and Oliver Kahn took third place on the podium in two consecutive years (2001 and 2002). Fourth place has been the ceiling for two contemporary legends like Iker Casillas (2009) and Gianluigi Buffon (2017).
The impossibility of seeing goalkeepers triumph with the highest distinction led France Football to create a Golden Ball in 2019 dedicated to the best goalkeeper of the season. Last year the winner was Gianluigi Donnarumma, key with Italy in achieving the European Championship.
It can be taken for granted that the Yashin award will go to Courtois this year. In this Champions League he has kept a clean sheet five times and has made 61 saves, including a penalty saved on Messi in the first leg of the round of 16. In the Parc des Princes he denied Mbappé's goal on multiple occasions, which prevented the French from getting a higher income before visiting the Bernabeu.
In the tie against Chelsea he also had his decisive appearances - to remember a spectacular save against Azpilicueta -, but it was against City in the semifinals when he showed his best version. The deflection with the tip of the boot to Grealish at the Bernabeu when the goal seemed irremediable (it meant 0-2) is unforgettable. Then came the white reaction.
Against Liverpool he teamed up with the mandera to repel a dry shot from Mané and with his reflexes he made Salah's night bitter. "Today I had the feeling after the first stop that no one was going to mark me because for the life of me I was going to win a Champions League with Real Madrid. For my dead I had to win it," he said exultantly after the game.
Courtois and the Madrid defense survived the red siege. Klopp's men finished off 23 times (9 on goal). Madrid only needed one between the three suits (Vinícius) to continue adding titles in Europe.
