Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas won the 2021 Women’s Ballon d’Or award on Monday, capping a dominant year with another accolade.

The Spanish superstar, 27, led Barca to a treble-winning campaign last season, scoring in the 4-0 victory over Chelsea in the Champions League final. All told, she registered 26 goals in 46 matches, finishing the 2020-21 term as the highest-scoring midfielder in Europe.

She’s carried that outstanding form into the new campaign, too, delivering 14 goals in 13 appearances thus far.

Putellas, who also claimed the UEFA women’s player of the year title in August, is the first Spaniard to win the Ballon d’Or since Luis Suarez took home the men’s award in 1960.

“I’m very emotional, it’s a very special moment,” she said at Monday’s ceremony in Paris, through a translator. “I would like to start by thanking all my teammates, especially my current (Barcelona) teammates. For me, it’s a collective success.”

Putellas was one of five Barca players nominated.

Teammate and compatriot Jennifer Hermoso finished second in the voting, while Chelsea forward Sam Kerr rounded out the top three. Lieke Martens, Sandra Panos, and Irene Paredes were the other Barcelona players in the running.

Megan Rapinoe won the trophy in 2019, while Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural edition of the honor in 2018. The Ballon d’Or wasn’t awarded last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Karim Benzema was given a one-year suspended jail sentence and fined €75,000 (£63,000) on Wednesday after being found guilty for his involvement in the highly publicized sex tape scandal in France.

The France and Real Madrid striker was found guilty of complicity in the attempted blackmail of former international teammate Mathieu Valbuena in 2015.

Benzema’s lawyer says he will immediately appeal the verdict, adding that the sentence was “unfair and based on no proof,” according to The Guardian’s Angelique Chrisafis. The French striker has consistently denied his involvement.

Police opened an investigation in July 2015 after an unknown caller contacted Valbuena, who currently plays in Greece for Olympiacos, claiming to have a sex tape featuring the 37-year-old.

Benzema’s participation occurred when the two players were at a French training camp shortly after Valbuena received the anonymous call. Benzema allegedly pressured Valbuena to pay the blackmailers, who were eager to arrange a meeting to collect money in return for the mobile phone video.

The 33-year-old’s lawyer argued that his client was simply trying to help his teammate by suggesting a solution.

However, the court found that Benzema acted “with a certain excitement, even jubilation” instead of showing empathy toward his teammate.

The fallout from the incident resulted in both players losing their places in the French national team. Benzema’s five-year exile ended earlier this year when he made a surprise return to the squad ahead of Euro 2020.

Four other co-defendants in the case – one of which was a childhood friend of the Real Madrid star – were also found guilty for their roles in the extortion scandal. The court gave the group sentences ranging from 18 months suspended to two-and-a-half years in prison.