By Adegboyega Adeleye

Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois has said he thinks it is “impossible” for a goalkeeper to win the best footballer award, Ballon d’Or.

The goalkeeper finished seventh in the men’s ranking and won the Yashim trophy as the best goalkeeper of the year in a ceremony organised by France Football in Paris on Monday

Despite his impressive role in Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League and La Liga triumphs last season, the 30-year-old placed seventh behind teammate Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe in the final shortlist.

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Courtois was voted man of the match after making a record nine saves in Madrid’s 1-0 Champions League final win over Liverpool in May, conceding just 29 goals in 36 LaLiga games last season.

When asked if a goalkeeper could win the award again, Courtois told RTVE that he thinks it is impossible. He said, “The truth is that I think it’s impossible.”

He continued, “Obviously Karim deserves it, we all agree with that. But after the year I had as a goalkeeper, you win the Champions League, you win the league, you play the Champions League final and your team wins it thanks to your saves, and you only end up seventh […] that says a lot.”

“The votes don’t go towards goalkeepers, In the top 10, there weren’t any defenders either. It’s what happens. It’s a bit difficult. But at least they gave me the trophy for best goalkeeper,” Courtois said.

The Belgium international who was the highest-ranked goalkeeper in the 2022 list settled for the best goalkeeper award, which is named after Lev Yashin who was the only goalkeeper to receive the Ballon d’Or in the award’s history in 1963.