Real Madrid and France forward, Karim Benzema has been named the Ballon d’Or winner for 2022, following an impressive calendar year.

The France international came out tops, beating finalists, Sadio Mane, Kevin Debryne and Robert Lewandowski to the honour; classified asfootball’s most prestigious individual award

The 34-year-old enjoyed a remarkable 2021-22 campaign at Santiago Bernabeu, scoring 44-goalsto help the Los Blancoswing the La Liga and Champions League titles.

He also found the target on 27 occasions in the Spanish top flight last season and 15 times in European competition.

Meanwhile, Barcelona superstar, Alexia Putellas clinched her second successive Ballon d'Or Féminin, while Barca youngster, Gavi picked up the Kopa Trophy, for the best men’s U21 player.

Former Bayern Munich goal machine, Robert Lewandowski, also took home the Gerd Müller Trophy for top scorer of the season, while Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois won the Yashin Trophy fo the best goalkeeper of the season.

A Brazilian investment firm has called for Neymar to be handed a five-year prison sentence when he stands trial next week on fraud and corruption charges relating to his transfer to Barcelona from Santos in 2013.

DIS, which owned 40% of the rights to Brazil forward at the time, argues it lost out because the transfer fee was undervalued.

The 30-year-old forward who currently plays for PSG has denied the allegations but lost an appeal in Spain's High Court in 2017, leading to the trial being brought by Spanish prosecutors.

The Paris St-Germain forward will have to appear in person for the first day of the trial in Barcelona on Monday, the court said, but it is unclear if he will be asked to stay for the entire hearing which could last two weeks.

The other defendants are Neymar's parents, the two clubs, former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues.

Rosell has also previously denied any wrongdoing.

In a statement, Baker McKenzie, the lawyers representing the Neymar family, claimed that Spanish courts "lack jurisdiction to prosecute the Neymar family and their company N&N" because the acts were committed by Brazilian nationals outside Spanish territory.

They also pointed out that the alleged crimes are not punishable in Brazil.

DIS acquired a percentage of Neymar's rights when he was 17, in exchange for 2m euros.

Barcelona said at the time of Neymar's move that the transfer fee was 57.1m euros, of which 40m euros was paid to his family.

The investment firm received a 40% share of the remaining 17.1m euros that was paid to Brazilian club Santos. 

As well as the five-year jail term demand, DIS is also requesting prison sentences for Rosell and Bartomeu, and a 149m euro fine.

Spanish prosecutors are demanding for a two-year prison term for Neymar and the payment of a 10m euros fine and a five-year jail term for Rosell, plus an 8.4m euro fine for Barcelona.