Ballon d'Or: Karim Benzema accused of polygamy after inviting two women to gala

It came as absolutely no surprise to anyone in the football world when Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was awarded the Ballon d'Or for 2022 in a ceremony held in Paris on Monday evening. However, while his victory was widely accepted, eyebrows shot to the ceiling after two romantic partners cheered on him from the audience.

The Real Madrid star sat in the front row alongside his fellow nominees, but fans were quick to spot his wife, Cora Gauthier in the audience with their son, Ibrahim, 5. She also shared photos from the ceremony on her personal Instagram account while gushing about how proud she is of the Real Madrid forward.

The mother and son sat with Benzema's mother, and the camera focused on them as Benzema made his speech. However, when asked to bring his family up on stage, the number 9 called up only his mother and his son.

Things became even more interesting when photos started to emerge of Benzema's girlfriend, Jordan Ozuna. She was captured by photographers walking the red carpet alone on her way into the venue. It is unclear where she sat during the ceremony itself, but she hardly kept a low profile after the event by posting numerous photos with both Benzema and his award.

While some fans focused on the award itself and congratulated the footballer, many accused him of polygamy. It is known that Benzema has a daughter from a previous relationship with Chloe de Launay. However, he is believed to have been married to Gauthier since either 2016 or 2017 after first starting their relationship back in 2015.

There has been no news of a split, and up until the day of the Ballon d'Or ceremony, various publications have even been writing profiles about her as the wife of the man of the hour. However, he is very clearly currently in a relationship with Ozuna.

"It only shocked me to see Cora Gauthier and Jiordyn/Jordan at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Karim Benzema would be polygamous? Why give such visibility to Cora and leave Jiordyn at the back of the room…" said one Twitter user.

Another said: "I don't really understand there was Cora Gauthier next to the family in tears after the coronation of Benzema Ballon d'Or and also Jiordyn! He is a polygamist?????!!!!"

Despite the outrage from some, all parties involved seemed to be amicable to the situation. It was a wonderful night all around, and Benzema is not likely to provide an explanation. However, it appears as though he travelled to the event with Ozuna. Gauthier may have been there in order to accompany their son so that he can bear witness to one of the most important moments in his father's career.

In any case, while it is certainly tabloid fodder, Benzema and the women in his life appear to be content with their current arrangement.