Zinedine Zidane couldn't stop smiling whilst announcing Karim Benzema as Ballon d'Or winner

Karim Benzema's Ballon d'Or win came as a surprise to literally no one, but that didn't stop Zinedine Zidane smiling from ear to ear when he found out.

Benzema beat Sadio Mane, who was playing for Liverpool last season, and Kevin de Bruyne into second and third to become the first Frenchman since Zidane to be named the best footballer in the world.

The former Real boss was given the task of announcing the final five names on the list, including the winner, and he could be seen smiling throughout the announcement.

He then gave Benzema a big embrace, as the 34-year-old went up on stage to pick up the award.

Zidane managed Benzema during two spells as the boss at the Bernabeu, in which the team won three Champions League finals in-a-row.

The former midfielder left the club for the second time at the end of the 2020/21 season, with Carlo Ancelotti taking over from his predecessor.

With Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos having moved on from Los Blancos in recent years, he has become their main talisman, when previously he was often more of a workhorse, especially for Ronaldo.

The current national team will be hoping to defend their own world crown in Qatar next month, although Benzema wasn't in the squad when they won it four years ago.

Monday night's award is actually a blow to their chances in the Middle East, with no holder of the Ballon d'Or having ever won the tournament.

In the past, the World Cup has obviously been a big consideration in handing out the end of year awards but that isn't the case this year for two reasons.

The tournament has been moved in the calendar from its usual summer position to the winter and the Ballon d'Or has also changed, from an award given out over a calendar year to one given for performances in the season.