Topics: Ballon d'Or, Karim Benzema, Emmanuel Macron, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti
Congratulations were in order as the Frenchman made history at Monday night's awards ceremony.

There was an outpour of congratulatory messages from some of the world's famous and most powerful people as Karim Benzema won the Ballon d'Or for the first-time ever in his career. The 34-year-old football star picked up the award at Monday's gala held inside Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, subsequently receiving commendations from French president Emmanuel Macron, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, and several football superstars.

The Real Madrid striker earned the recognition after a stellar campaign the last time out which saw him secure the league and Champions League double with Real Madrid, scoring 44 goals in 46 games for the club. He also inspired the French national team to a Nations League win after a five and a half-year absence.

"This makes me really proud, all the work I did, I never gave up," Benzema said in his acceptance speech.

"I had two role models in my life, Zidane and Ronaldo as well. I always had this dream in my mind that everything's possible. There was a difficult period where I wasn't in the French team but I worked hard and never gave up, kept my head down and enjoyed playing football," he added.

"I'm really proud of my journey here, it wasn't easy, it was difficult, for me and my family. Age is just a number for me. People play until their later years now and I still have this burning desire. It is this drive that has kept me going and never allowed me to let up.

"It kept this dream alive and was the fire behind me. I just want to make the most if it." the most prestigious individual award in football for the seventh time last year."

With the night's, Benzema became the fifth Frenchman in history to secure the accolade, joining the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Jean-Pierre Papin , Michel Platini and Raymond Kopa on the podium. The feat was enough to be lauded by French president Emmanuel Macron with other key figures following suit and paying homage to the striker. 

At the gala, Jose Mourinho also delivered a special message to Benzema in a tribute video composed by France Football Magazine. The Portuguese coach who managed the Frenchman for three years at Real Madrid said that his desire to put the team first was the reason behind his long wait for the prestigious award.

"Karim is a great character, great personality, a team guy" Mourinho declared.

"He is not obsessed with himself, he is not obsessed with the Ballon d'Or, he is not a guy obsessed with scoring more goals than A, B or C. He is just a team guy who does a lot in a way that the Ballon d'Or that becomes a natural consequence. I think he is a guy obsessed with his team."

Below are some of the celebratory messages delivered in honor of the French superstar: