Thibaut Courtois said he thinks it is “impossible” for a goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or after finishing seventh in the 2022 men’s standings despite his key role in Real MadridDouble of the Champions League and LaLiga.
Courtois, 30, is the highest-ranked goalkeeper on the 2022 list – revealed during a ceremony organized by France Football in Paris on Monday – but falls behind his teammates Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne, Robert lewandowski, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe in the shortlist.
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The Belgium The international also received the award for the best goalkeeper, named after Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper to receive the Ballon d’Or in the history of the award in 1963.
“The truth is I think it’s impossible,” Courtois told 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 was goalkeeper, you win the Champions League, you win the league, you play the Champions League final and your team won thanks to your saves, and you’re only seventh […] that says a lot. “
Courtois said: “The votes were not in favor of the goalkeeper. “There aren’t any defenders in the top 10 either. That’s what happens. It’s a bit difficult. But at least they gave me the title of best goalkeeper.”
Courtois was voted man of the match after making nine saves in Madrid’s 1-0 Champions League final win Liverpool in May, while he conceded just 29 goals in 36 La Liga games last season.
The only other goalkeeper shortlisted for the 2022 Men’s Ballon d’Or, ranked 25th, is of AC Milan Mike Maignan.
Unexpectedly Real Madrid ranked third in the Club of the Year 2022 category after City of Manchester and Liverpool, two teams they beat on their way to winning the Champions League for the 14th time.
“Third Team of the Year 2021-22. Happy, Real Madrid?” midfielder Toni Kroos tweeted.
Ballon d’Or winner Benzema, 34, told radio station Onda Cero after the ceremony that there was “no other option” for him but to retire to Real Madrid, while the club’s president Florentino Perez describes the striker as “a mix of Ronaldo Nazario and Zinedine Zidane.”
“He’s deserved it for years,” Perez told Cadena SER. “He’s been the best of the last three or four years.”
Perez says it “makes no sense” to talk about Mbappe – who is sixth in the Ballon d’Or standings – as a possible Madrid target in the future.
“It is not [the speculation] saddens me, that I didn’t even read it,” he said.
“Real Madrid’s attack is progressing spectacularly. Rodrygo and Vinicius are the top two players at the age of 21 and 22 […] Madrid are only focused on the players we have and we are happy with them. “
