Karim Benzema: What's the story behind Real Madrid star's injured finger?

On Monday evening, Karim Benzema became the fifth Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d’Or in the 21st century.

The supremely-gifted Frenchman has followed in the footsteps of Ronaldo Nazario, Fabio Cannavaro, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric.

Benzema was a truly deserving winner of the accolade after an exceptional 2021/22 season with Los Blancos, where the team won a La Liga and Champions League double.

In 46 games across all competitions, the 34-year-old maestro scored a whopping 44 goals and assisted a further 15.

Those are numbers befitting of Lionel Messi in his absolute prime and it's why Benzema was the only worthy winner of the 2022 Ballon d'Or.

The former Lyon man gave an emotional speech after scooping the accolade and a photo of him up on the stage in Paris has attracted a lot of attention on social media - although not for the reason you may have expected.

Read more: Benzema named two idols in emotional Ballon d'Or speech

The photo in question shows Benzema's misshapen little finger on his right hand, which is covered by a bandage during matches.

Benzema's finger without the bandage.