French footballer (born 1987)
Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker💸 for and captains Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. Regarded as one of the best strikers of all time, he is💸 a creative forward known for his technical skills, vision and versatility on the field,[4][5][6] Benzema is Real Madrid's all-time second-highest💸 goalscorer and top assist provider.[7] He won 24 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, three Copa del Rey,💸 and five UEFA Champions League titles.
Born in Lyon to parents of Algerian descent, Benzema began his career with hometown club💸 Olympique Lyonnais in 2005, contributing sporadically to three Ligue 1 title wins. In 2008, he was named the league's Player💸 of the Year and in the Team of the Year having finished as the league's top goalscorer and winning his💸 fourth league title and first Coupe de France. In 2009, Benzema was the subject of a then-French record football transfer💸 when he joined Real Madrid in a deal worth €35 million. After struggling to establish himself in his debut season,💸 he eventually achieved a consistent goalscoring rate with the club, notably being part of a highly rated trio alongside Cristiano💸 Ronaldo and Gareth Bale — dubbed BBC — who were integral to four Champions League wins from 2014 to 2024.
Following💸 Ronaldo's departure in 2024, Benzema transitioned from the false 9 position into a sole striker. He was named in the💸 La Liga Team of the Season for four consecutive years from 2024 to 2024, won La Liga Best Player twice💸 and the Pichichi Trophy for the first time in 2024. Benzema finished as Champions League top scorer as he won💸 his fifth title in 2024, and subsequently captained the club in his final season before signing for Al-Ittihad the following💸 year.
A French international, Benzema won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and made his senior debut for France in 2007,💸 at age 19. He earned 97 caps, including scoring in three and appearing in four major tournaments, and ranks as💸 France's sixth-highest all-time top goalscorer. Benzema was controversially left out of the squad for the 2010 World Cup and did💸 not play for France for over five years after being implicated in a blackmailing scandal in 2024; he later returned💸 to the squad before announcing his international retirement in December 2024. He has been named French Player of the Year💸 by France Football four times. For his performances in 2024 and 2024, Benzema was awarded the UEFA Player of the💸 Year and the Ballon d'Or, becoming the fifth French player to have won the Ballon d'Or.[8] At 34 years and💸 302 days old, he is the third-oldest winner of the award.
Club career
Early career
Benzema began his football career at his hometown💸 club Bron Terraillon SC at the age of eight. While at the club, he was nicknamed Coco by friends and,💸 after scoring two goals in an under-10 match against the Lyon youth academy, began attracting attention from the biggest club💸 in the city.[9][10] According to Serge Santa Cruz, who was president of Bron Terraillon in the 1990s, Lyon officials had💸 visited him directly in an attempt to sign the youngster; however, Santa Cruz refused.[11] After talking with Benzema's father, the💸 club allowed the player to undergo a trial with Lyon.[11] Following the trial, Benzema officially joined Lyon and was inserted💸 into the club's academy.[12]
Lyon
Benzema quickly ascended up the youth categories in the academy. He served as a ballboy during Lyon💸 senior team matches and performed well in school being described as a student who was "discreet and respectful".[11][13] At under-16💸 level, Benzema scored 38 goals in the Championnat National des 16 ans, the domestic league for under-16 youth players in💸 France.[14] Ahead of the 2004–05 season, Benzema was promoted to the club's reserve team, which was playing in the Championnat💸 de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Despite only playing with the team during the autumn campaign, he💸 scored a team-high ten goals as the Lyon reserve team finished second in its group.[15]
2004–2007: Breakthrough and three league titles
Benzema💸 was called up to the senior team for the first time under manager Paul Le Guen during the break leading💸 up to the second half of the season. As is customary with new players arriving at Lyon, the young striker💸 had to stand up and speak to his new teammates, which at that time included the likes of Michael Essien,💸 Sylvain Wiltord, Florent Malouda and Eric Abidal.[16] While speaking, Benzema was subjected to jokes and laughter, which prompted the youngster💸 to declare, "Do not laugh, I'm here to take your place."[16] He made his professional debut on 15 January 2005💸 against Metz, appearing as a substitute for Pierre-Alain Frau. Lyon won the match 2–0 as Benzema provided the assist of💸 the second goal scored by Bryan Bergougnoux.[10][17] He signed his first professional contract the same month, agreeing to a three-year💸 deal.[18] After making three more appearances as a substitute, on 2 April Benzema made his first professional start in a💸 1–0 win over Lens.[19] He finished the campaign with six appearances as Lyon won their fourth-straight league title.
Benzema began the💸 2005–06 season under the tutelage of new manager Gérard Houllier. Under Houllier, he struggled for meaningful minutes due to the💸 presence of newly signed Brazilian striker Fred, as well as Sylvain Wiltord. Benzema made his season debut on 2 October💸 2005 in a league win over Rennes, appearing as a substitute.[20] On 6 December, he made his UEFA Champions League💸 debut in Lyon's final group stage match against Norwegian club Rosenborg. On his competition debut, he scored his first professional💸 goal in a 2–1 win.[21] A month later, Benzema scored his first professional double in a 4–0 win over Grenoble💸 in the Coupe de France.[22] On 4 March 2006, Benzema scored his first professional league goal against Ajaccio in a💸 3–1 win.[23]
Benzema began earning more playing time in the 2006–07 season and made his competitive season debut in the 2006💸 Trophée des Champions against Paris Saint-Germain. In the French Supercup, Benzema converted a penalty which drew the match at 1–1.💸 Lyon later won the league curtain-raiser 5–4 on penalties.[24] Benzema opened the league campaign on a quick note scoring in💸 the team's first match of the season against Nantes.[25] Three weeks later, on 26 August 2006, Benzema appeared as a💸 substitute and scored two goals in a 4–1 away win over Nice.[26] He also converted two goals in the Champions💸 League group stage against Romanian outfit Steaua București and Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv.[27][28] After appearing regularly during the autumn campaign,💸 on 10 November, Benzema suffered a severe thigh injury.[29] The injury resulted in the striker missing three months of action💸 before returning in February 2007. Benzema failed to score a goal until the final league match of the season against💸 Nantes as Lyon recorded its sixth consecutive league title.[30]
2007–2009: Club talisman
For the 2007–08 season, with Florent Malouda, John Carew and💸 Sylvain Wiltord all departing from the club, Benzema switched to the number 10 shirt and was inserted into the lead💸 striker role. After forming a special relationship with new manager Alain Perrin, he responded with 31 goals in 51 games.💸 He topped the league with 20 goals, scored four goals in the Champions League, one in the Coupe de la💸 Ligue and totaled six goals in six Coupe de France matches, helping Lyon win their first ever double.[31] Some of💸 his more dazzling performances that season included a hat-trick against Metz on 15 September,[32] an equalizing goal in the 90th💸 minute from a free kick against Derby du Rhône rivals Saint-Étienne,[33] and a goal against Lens that was nominated for💸 goal of the season by fans.
In the Champions League, Benzema scored an important double against Rangers at Ibrox Stadium on💸 the last match day of the group stage. The 3–0 victory assured Lyon progression to the knockout rounds.[34] In the💸 knockout rounds, Lyon faced Manchester United and Benzema continued to score, this time it was from outside the penalty box💸 in the first leg match which ended in a 1–1 draw[35] and United eventually won the tie 1–2 on aggregate.💸 Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and players praised Benzema for his performance.[36] Lyon club president Jean-Michel Aulas later accused💸 Ferguson of tapping-up Benzema.[37]
On 13 March 2008, Benzema extended his contract with Lyon until 2013 with a one-year extension option.[38]💸 After signing his new contract, Benzema became one of the highest paid footballers in France.[39] For his efforts that season,💸 he was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, selected to the Team of the Year and awarded the💸 Trophée du Meilleur Buteur for being the league's top scorer.[40][41] He won the 2008 Bravo Award given to the most💸 outstanding young footballer playing in Europe,[42] and was also shortlisted by French magazine France Football for the 2008 Ballon d'Or💸 award,[43] eventually won by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Benzema got off to a good start for the 2008–09 season, scoring twice in Lyon's💸 opening league match against Toulouse.[44] The following three weeks, he scored goals against Rhône-Alpes rivals Grenoble[45] and Saint-Étienne[46] and scored💸 a goal against Nice, converting a penalty in the dying seconds.[47] Lyon won all three matches. As a result of💸 his early goals, Lyon club president Jean-Michel Aulas quelled the many transfer rumors surrounding Benzema by placing a €100 million💸 price tag on the striker. He was also nominated alongside Franck Ribéry to be featured on the French cover of💸 the video game FIFA 09.[48]
Benzema during a training session with Lyon in 2008
He scored his seventh goal of the league💸 on 29 October, scoring in the 2–0 win over Sochaux. Benzema scored again the following weekend in a 2–0 win💸 over Le Mans.[49] He was among the top scorers in the Champions League group stage, scoring five goals,[50] a double💸 against Steaua București,[51] two goals in two matches against Fiorentina,[52][53] and a goal against the eventual group winners Bayern Munich💸 on the final match day.[54]
Following the winter break, Benzema endured a rough patch going scoreless the first three games before💸 recording his 11th goal of the season against Nice in a 3–1 victory.[55] Two weeks later, he scored his 12th💸 goal against Nancy in a 2–0 victory.[56] The next nine matches, both Benzema and Lyon's form dwindled losing four matches,💸 drawing three and winning only two with Benzema scoring only two goals in that stretch, both of them against Le💸 Mans in a 3–1 victory.[57] The bad form resulted in Lyon losing their grip on first-place position and eventually falling💸 out of the title race, thus ending their streak of seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles.[58] Benzema was a part of💸 four of those title runs.
Despite losing the title, Benzema got back on track scoring his 15th and 16th goals of💸 the season on 17 May in a 3–1 away victory over rivals Marseille, the first goal being a penalty.[59] He💸 scored his 17th goal the following weekend against Caen in a 3–1 victory moving him into third place among Ligue💸 1 top scorers.[60]
Real Madrid
2009–10: Transfer and adapting to Spain
On 1 July 2009, it was announced that Lyon had reached an💸 agreement with Spanish club Real Madrid for the transfer of Benzema. The transfer fee was priced at €35 million with💸 the fee rising to as much as €41 million based on incentives.[61][62][63][64] On 9 July, Benzema successfully passed his medical💸 and signed his contract, a six-year deal, later that afternoon.[65] He was presented officially as a Real Madrid player later💸 that night at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, similarly to the previous signings of Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.[66] Benzema made his💸 Real Madrid debut on 20 July in the club's opening pre-season friendly against Irish team Shamrock Rovers in Dublin, appearing💸 as a half-time substitute.[67] He scored the lone goal in the club's 1–0 win, scoring in the 87th minute.[68] On💸 24 August, Benzema netted two goals in Real Madrid's 4–0 victory over Norwegian club Rosenborg in an annual friendly tournament💸 organized for the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy.[69] The goals brought his total tally in the pre-season with Real Madrid to five,💸 making him the joint top scorer alongside fellow striker Raúl.[70]
Benzema made his league debut for Madrid on 29 August 2009💸 against Deportivo La Coruña. He started the match, but was substituted out in the second half as Madrid won 3–2.[71]💸 A month later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–0 victory against newly promoted Xerez.[72] After💸 missing the mid-week match against Villarreal, against Tenerife at the weekend, Benzema scored his first double for Madrid in a💸 3–0 home victory.[73] He made his Champions League debut for the club on 30 September in a group stage tie💸 against Marseille.[74] After failing to score a goal in the month of October, in the team's first match in November💸 against Italian club Milan in the Champions League, Benzema scored the opener to give Madrid a 1–0 lead. His goal💸 was later cancelled out by a Ronaldinho penalty.[75]
Benzema playing against Marseille in a 2009 Champions League match
In late November, Benzema💸 began appearing mainly as a substitute as manager Manuel Pellegrini preferred Gonzalo Higuaín in the lead striker role. To coincide💸 with his benching, the striker was also being criticized by the Spanish media for his under-performance and difficulties settling in💸 the country as he had not yet begun learning the Spanish language.[76][77] He was even declared the "new Anelka" by💸 a Spanish newspaper Marca blogger, referring to former Real Madrid striker Nicolas Anelka who had a tumultuous year at the💸 club before being sold.[78] Benzema was defended by his compatriot Zinedine Zidane, who admitted "after two months, I was also💸 criticized" and that Benzema was "a talented player and talented players in Madrid must win".[79]
On 5 December, Benzema appeared as💸 a substitute for Rafael van der Vaart and scored the third goal in a 6–0 romp of Almería.[80] The day💸 after the match against Almería, Benzema responded to the criticism by stating, "I am totally integrated and very happy at💸 Real Madrid", and, "Yes, I have improved my adaptation. I have a new home and I'm learning Spanish to understand💸 myself better with my teammates."[81] After nearly a month coming off of the bench, he started alongside Higuaín away to💸 Valencia on 12 December.[82] A week later, Benzema returned to the bench. Following an injury to Higuaín in early January💸 2010, Pellegrini inserted Benzema back into the starting lineup.[83] After failing to score in his first two starts in the💸 absence of Higuaín, against Deportivo La Coruña on 30 January, he scored a double in an important 3–1 away win.[84][85]💸 Following the return of Higuaín, Benzema was relegated back to a substitute's role and finished the campaign by making eight💸 consecutive appearances off the bench. Included in one of those appearances was his final goal of the season against Athletic💸 Bilbao in a 5–1 win.[86]
2010–11: First-team mainstay
Benzema playing in a league match against Villarreal in 2011
Ahead of the 2010–11 season,💸 Benzema switched to the number 9 shirt as Real Madrid were under the tutelage of new incoming manager José Mourinho.💸 The striker immediately drew the ire of Mourinho who declared to reporters during a pre-season media session that "Benzema must💸 understand that he is extremely talented, but that in itself is not enough", while also stating that "[Madrid] need a💸 striker who is sparky, not one that is listless".[87] Mourinho sentiments were later echoed by incoming France national team coach💸 Laurent Blanc who acknowledged that Benzema was "not used to working".[88] Blanc also stated that the striker needed to shed💸 weight in order to fulfill his potential.[89]
Due to Mourinho preferring Ronaldo and Higuaín as his forwards,[88] Benzema began the campaign💸 as a substitute coming off the bench in the team's opening league match of the season against Mallorca.[90] Following the💸 September international break, he made his first start in a 1–0 win over Osasuna.[91] On 21 September, Benzema made a💸 substitute appearance and scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 home win against Espanyol.[92] Afterwards, the striker💸 failed to score a domestic goal for nearly two months.[citation needed]
Benzema celebrating a goal against Espanyol in 2010
On 10 November,💸 Benzema scored his second goal of the campaign against Real Murcia in the 2010–11 edition of the Copa del Rey.[93]💸 In late November, Benzema was inserted into the starting eleven following a severe back injury to Higuaín, along with the💸 team's lack of senior strikers. In his first match since being inserted into the starting lineup permanently, he scored his💸 first Champions League goal of the season in a group stage fixture against Dutch club Ajax.[94] In Madrid's final group💸 stage tie against French outfit Auxerre, Benzema scored his first hat trick for the club in a 4–0 win. The💸 first goal he scored was Real Madrid's 300th goal in the Champions League era.[95][96] Two weeks later, Benzema converted another💸 hat trick, this time in an 8–0 thrashing of Levante in the Copa del Rey.[97] In late January, for the💸 first time in his Real Madrid career, Benzema scored goals in back-to-back matches. On 23 January, he scored the only💸 goal in a 1–0 win at home against Mallorca.[98] Three days later, Benzema repeated his efforts scoring the only goal💸 in a win over Sevilla in the first leg of the team's Copa del Rey semi-final tie.[99] Real Madrid later💸 advanced to its 37th Copa del Rey final in club history after beating Sevilla 2–0 in the second leg.[100]
Following the💸 arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor on loan, Benzema went unused in two consecutive league matches in February 2011. He returned to💸 the starting lineup on 19 February and embarked on a run in which he scored ten goals in eight matches.💸 Included in those ten goals were doubles in three straight matches against Málaga, Racing de Santander and Hércules, as well💸 as a goal in the first leg of Madrid's Round of 16 tie against former club Lyon.[101][102][103] The strike against💸 his hometown club was the 100th goal of his professional career, and also the first goal for Real Madrid at💸 the Stade de Gerland in six years, though despite the honours associated with netting the goal, Benzema did not celebrate💸 out of respect for his former club.[104]
Benzema playing in a league match against Almería in 2011
On 19 March, he scored💸 the opener in the El Derbi madrileño as Real Madrid went on to win the match 2–1.[105] Despite his form,💸 Benzema appeared in only one of the four highly anticipated matches against El Clásico rivals Barcelona, in which the two💸 clubs met in the league, the 2011 Copa del Rey Final and the Champions League knockout stage. In between those💸 clashes, on 23 April 2011, Benzema scored a goal in a 6–3 win over Valencia.[106] On 30 April, he scored💸 a goal in the team's 3–2 loss to Real Zaragoza.[107] It was the only match of the campaign that Real💸 Madrid lost, in which Benzema scored. To close out the campaign, Benzema scored another double in an 8–1 win over💸 Almería.[108] He finished the campaign second on the team behind Ronaldo with 26 goals as Real Madrid captured the Copa💸 del Rey giving Benzema his first honour with the club.[109] For his performances during the campaign, particularly during the second💸 half, Benzema was praised by Mourinho, club officials Florentino Pérez and Emilio Butragueño, as well as national team manager Laurent💸 Blanc.[110][111][112]
2011–12: First La Liga championship
Prior to the start of the 2011–12 season, Benzema, taking the advice of compatriots Blanc and💸 Zidane,[113][114] ventured to Merano, Italy, to attend a high performance clinic where he underwent treatment to reduce his weight.[115] The💸 spell at the clinic was ultimately a success after the striker arrived at pre-season 8 kilograms (18 lb) lighter.[115] While💸 at the clinic, Benzema also underwent physical training to build up his muscle mass.[115] The striker was impressive in the💸 pre-season scoring eight goals in seven matches.[116] His performances during the pre-season resulted in Mourinho naming him the starting lead💸 striker for the new campaign. Mourinho was later credited with Benzema's transformation,[117] but denied full responsibility and, instead, gave credit💸 to the striker himself.[118]
In the second leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España against Barcelona, and with Madrid trailing 4–3💸 on aggregate late in the match, Benzema scored the equalizing goal to even the tie at 4–4. However, six minutes💸 later, a Lionel Messi strike gave Barcelona the supercup.[119] In the team's second league match of the season against Getafe,💸 Benzema scored a double in a 4–2 victory.[120] After going goalless in three consecutive league matches, he scored his third💸 league goal of the campaign against Rayo Vallecano in a 4–2 win.[121] In the team's ensuing match against Ajax in💸 the Champions League, Benzema scored Madrid's third goal in a 3–0 home win.[122] In the club's next Champions League match💸 against Lyon, Benzema scored again by netting the opener in a 4–0 win against Lyon.[123]
Benzema training ahead of a Champions💸 League match in 2012
In November 2011, Benzema scored five goals; three in the league and two in Europe. In the💸 league, he converted his three goals in wins over Osasuna and Valencia, while he scored his two Champions League goals💸 in a 6–2 group stage win over Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.[124][125][126] On 10 December 2011, Benzema scored the opener in💸 Madrid's 3–1 defeat to Barcelona in the El Clásico.[127] The goal, scored just 21 seconds into the match, was the💸 fastest goal ever scored in a match between the two rivals.[128] Three days after his record-breaking goal, for his performances💸 during the 2011 calendar year, Benzema was named the France Football French Player of the Year, beating out Barcelona defender💸 Eric Abidal and Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.[129] He became only the second French player based in Spain to win the💸 award, and also the second Real Madrid player to capture it. Zidane was the first to achieve both honorable mentions.💸 Benzema expressed gratitude at winning the award, stating, "It is a pleasure to win an individual trophy. When I see💸 the previous winners – Zidane, Henry and other major players – it makes me proud to join them on the💸 list."[130] In the team's next match after winning the award, against Sevilla, Benzema assisted two goals in a 6–2 triumph.[131]
Benzema💸 opened the 2012 portion of the campaign in positive form. He scored goals against Granada and Málaga.[132] Benzema scored against💸 the latter club in the Copa del Rey in each leg of the Round of 16.[133][134] The 4–2 aggregate win💸 advanced Real Madrid to the quarter-finals where the club faced Barcelona. After failing to score in the first leg, which💸 ended 2–1 in favour of Barça,[135] in the second leg on 25 January 2012, Benzema scored his third goal of💸 the season against the Blaugrana, but Madrid failed to win the tie losing 4–3 on aggregate.[136] On 12 February, Benzema💸 scored his first league goal in over a month against Levante.[137] A week later, he scored a double in a💸 4–0 shutout of Racing Santander.[138] On 24 March, Benzema scored two goals in a league win over Real Sociedad.[139] The💸 two goals made him the top French scorer in La Liga history surpassing Zidane.[140] Three days later, Benzema scored another💸 double in a 3–0 first leg away win over Cypriot team APOEL in the Champions League quarter-finals.[141] On 29 April,💸 Benzema put in a masterful performance scoring two goals and assisting another in a 3–0 win over Sevilla. The double💸 was his seventh of the season and allowed Madrid to close in on its first Primera Division title in four💸 years.[142] Los Blancos captured their 32nd league title the following week cruising to a 3–0 win over Athletic Bilbao.[143] Benzema💸 appeared as a second-half substitute in the match.[144]
2012–2024: Sustained continental success
On the first matchday of the Champions League, Benzema scored💸 an equalizer against Manchester City in 3–2 win at Santiago Bernabéu. On 4 October 2012, Benzema scored a bicycle kick💸 goal off a cross by Kaká in a 4–1 win against Ajax in Amsterdam.[145] On 18 December, one day before💸 his 25th birthday, his fine form saw him earn the award for best French footballer of 2012, for the second💸 year running.[146] On 2 March 2013, Benzema opened the scoring against Barcelona in the league game at the Santiago Bernabéu.💸 Real went on to win the game 2–1, the second time they beat Barcelona in a week.
Ahead of the 2013–14💸 season, Benzema became part of a trio alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and newly signed Gareth Bale — dubbed BBC.[147] Benzema started💸 the season by scoring in a 2–1 win over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu.[148] After four matches without scoring💸 (two with Real Madrid and two with France), he returned to goal-scoring form by netting twice in a 6–1 away💸 win over Galatasaray in Champions League.[149] On 18 January 2014, he scored his 100th goal for Madrid in a 5–0💸 victory at Real Betis.[150] On 23 March, Benzema scored two goals against fierce rivals Barcelona in El Clásico at the💸 Bernabéu from two crosses by Ángel Di María, taking his goal tally in La Liga to 17 goals, though Barcelona💸 won the match 4–3.[151]
Benzema playing for Real Madrid in 2024
Benzema was part of Real Madrid's starting eleven in the 2014💸 Copa del Rey Final on 16 April at the Mestalla Stadium, and assisted Di María's opening goal before Gareth Bale💸 hit the winner for Madrid in a 2–1 victory.[152] One week later, on 23 April, Benzema scored the only goal💸 of the game to win the first leg of a Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, 1–0.[153] The club went💸 on to win the final in May. Real Madrid's attacking trio of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, dubbed "BBC", finished the💸 season with 97 goals.[154]
On 6 August 2014, Real Madrid announced that Benzema had signed a new five-year deal that will💸 keep him at the club until 2024.[155] On 12 August 2014, Benzema played the whole 90 minutes in Real Madrid's💸 2–0 win against Sevilla in Cardiff to claim the UEFA Super Cup. On 16 September, Benzema scored Real Madrid's 1,000th💸 goal in European competition after netting a goal in a 5–1 victory over FC Basel in the first match of💸 the Champions League group stage.[156] He scored the winning goal in Real Madrid's 2–1 away victory against Ludogorets Razgrad in💸 the Champions League after coming on as a second-half substitute.[157] The next weekend, he scored a brace in the 5–0💸 victory against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga.[158] In 2014, Benzema won France Football's award for French Player of the Year💸 for the third time; only Thierry Henry has won this award on more occasions.[159]
Benzema was chosen as La Liga Player💸 of the Month for October 2014, with his manager Carlo Ancelotti winning the equivalent award. He scored three of Real💸 Madrid's 13 goals of the month, in which they won three matches and only conceded just one goal.[160] On 8💸 December 2024, Benzema scored a hat trick in an 8–0 thrashing against Malmö FF.[161] On 20 December, he scored another💸 hat trick in a 10–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano.[162] He was a regular starter when the team won the 2024–16💸 UEFA Champions League.[163]
2024–2024: European threepeat and second league title
Benzema with Cristina Cifuentes during the 2024 Champions League title celebrations in💸 Madrid
In December 2024, Benzema was called up in Real Madrid's squad for 2024 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.[164] In💸 the semi-final match against América on 15 December, Benzema scored in the last moments of the first half, helping the💸 team to progress in the final by winning 2–0.[165] In the final three days later against Kashima Antlers, Benzema opened💸 the score in the 9th minute, and also assisted Ronaldo's second goal, as Real Madrid won 4–2 in extra time💸 after the regular time finished 2–2 to claim their second title.[166] It was Benzema's tenth title with Real Madrid, and💸 finished the competition as joint-second topscorer with two goals in two matches.[167]
On 15 February 2024, in the first leg of💸 2024–17 UEFA Champions League round of 16 against Napoli, Benzema scored Real Madrid's first goal in an eventual 3–1 home💸 win, which was his 51st goal in this competition, overtaking Thierry Henry on the list of all-time Champions League top💸 scorers.[168] It was his first goal in six matches and for this performance he was voted Man of the Match.[169]💸 He was a regular starter, and scored the last goal of the season which gave him eleven for the campaign,💸 when Madrid won the 2024–17 La Liga[170][171] and the 2024–17 UEFA Champions League.[172]
On 20 September 2024, Benzema signed a contract💸 extension that will keep him at the club until 2024.[173] Later on 6 March of the following year, Benzema made💸 his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance by playing in the 2–1 win at Parc des Princes against Paris Saint-Germain in💸 the second leg of 2024–18 UEFA Champions League round of 16 as Real Madrid progressed to the next round 5–2💸 on aggregate.[174][175] Benzema played his 400th match in all competitions for Real Madrid on 31 March in the 3–0 win💸 at Las Palmas, captaining the team and netting the second goal with a penalty.[176] On 1 May, Benzema scored twice💸 in a 2–2 draw against Bayern Munich in the return leg of the 2024–18 UEFA Champions League semi-final, as Real💸 progressed to the final on a 4–3 aggregate.[177] On 26 May, Benzema scored the first goal of the match in💸 2024 UEFA Champions League Final by intercepting Loris Karius's throw in a 3–1 victory over Liverpool, when Madrid won their💸 third consecutive and 13th overall Champions League title.[178]
2024–2024: Club talisman, third league title and the return of Zidane
With the departure💸 of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in July 2024, Benzema became Real Madrid's new goal-getter – scoring 30 goals in all💸 competitions in 2024–19 as the club's top scorer for the campaign.[179] His prominence in Real Madrid's squad significantly increased.[147]
On 7💸 November 2024, Benzema scored a brace in the 5–0 win at Viktoria Plzeň in the UEFA Champions League group stage,💸 reaching the 200th goal milestone with the club,[180] becoming only the seventh Madrid player to achieve the feat.[181] He scored💸 three goals in six matches, all of them against Plzeň, helping Real Madrid topping Group G.[182] Later on 13 February💸 of the following year, in the first leg of the competition's round of 16, Benzema scored the opener of a💸 2–1 away win over Ajax,[183] reaching 60 Champions League goals, becoming only the fourth player to do so.[184]
Benzema scored Madrid's💸 first competitive goal of the 2024–20 season on 17 August in the 3–1 away win over Celta Vigo in the💸 opening La Liga match.[185] Later, on 6 November, he scored a brace in Madrid's 6–0 crushing of Galatasaray, achieving two💸 new milestones: he become the second player after Lionel Messi to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons and also💸 the third Madrid player to score 50 goals in the competition.[186][187] His performances were praised by manager Zinedine Zidane, who💸 called him a legend and also compared him with Cristiano Ronaldo.[188] Three days later, in the next league match, he💸 scored a first-half brace in a 4–0 win at Eibar, overtaking Ferenc Puskás as the club's sixth all-time goalscorer in💸 La Liga with 157 goals from 323 appearances.[189] In February 2024, Benzema extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2024.[190]💸 On 1 March, he made his 500th appearance for Real Madrid in a 2–0 home win over Barcelona in El💸 Clásico, becoming the fourteenth player in the club's history to achieve this milestone.[191][192] At the end of the season, Real💸 Madrid won the 2024–20 La Liga, while scoring over 20 goals.[193]
Benzema getting interviewed after Real Madrid's first away game after💸 the COVID-19 quarantine against Real Sociedad
When La Liga restarted after a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Benzema scored💸 a brace against Valencia in Real Madrid's second game back at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium on 18 June –💸 his first goals at Madrid's new temporary home ground.[194] Benzema's brace saw him surpass Ferenc Puskás as Real Madrid's fourth💸 All-Time Top Scorer with 304 goals.[195]
On 16 July, Benzema's brace against Villarreal secured Real Madrid's 34th La Liga title, after💸 a 2–1 win at the Di Stefano – their 10th consecutive league win after the lockdown.[196] On 7 August, Benzema💸 scored Madrid's only goal at the Etihad as they went crashing out of the Champions League to Manchester City (2–4💸 on aggregate) to end the campaign.[197] For the second consecutive season, Benzema finished as the club's top scorer with 27💸 goals in all competitions.
Benzema opened his goal account for 2024–21 on 4 October, away to Levante in La Liga, netting💸 his 250th goal for Real Madrid in all competitions.[198][199] On 27 October, he scored an acrobatic over-the-head goal in a💸 2–2 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach at Borussia-Park in the Champions League, to become the second player in history after Lionel💸 Messi to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons.[200] On 9 December, he scored a brace in a 2–0 win💸 over Borussia Mönchengladbach to send Real Madrid to the Champions League knockout stages as group winners.[201] On 21 April, Benzema💸 scored a brace and assisted another in a 3–0 away win at Cádiz, which meant he scored against all 35💸 teams he has played against in La Liga.[202]
2024–22: Vice-captaincy, fourth league title, UCL top scorer and Ballon d'Or
With the departure💸 of Sergio Ramos to PSG, Benzema was promoted as Real Madrid's vice-captain for the 2024–22 season under Ancelotti.[203] On 14💸 August, Benzema scored a brace against Alaves as Los Blancos kicked off the league season with a 1–4 away win💸 to sit at the top of the table. Benzema's first half volley was the first official goal under Ancelotti in💸 his second stint.[204] Six days later, Benzema signed a contract extension with Real Madrid, keeping him at the club until💸 2024.[205]
Benzema scored his first hat-trick in three seasons in a 5–2 win over Celta Vigo on 12 September as Madrid💸 returned to the Bernabeu for the first time since March 2024.[206] Wearing the armband, Benzema was the first Madrid captain💸 to score a hat-trick since Raul in 2008.[207] One week later, Benzema and Vini Jr would combine twice in the💸 last few minutes against Valencia at the Mestalla to complete a comeback to earn Madrid their first win at the💸 Mestalla in four seasons.[208] On 22 September, Benzema scored a brace and provided another two assists in a 6–1 win💸 over Mallorca at the Bernabeu.[209] Benzema's brace allowed him to become only the fourth Madrid player in history to score💸 200 La Liga goals after Di Stefano, Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo.[210] On 28 September, Benzema became the first the player💸 in history to score in 17 consecutive Champions League seasons after scoring his first penalty in the competition in a💸 1–2 home loss against Sheriff in the group stage.[211]
On 22 October, Benzema scored Madrid's 1000th Champions League goal at the💸 Bernabéu against Shakhtar Donetsk.[212] In the process, Benzema scored his 291st and 292nd goals for the club, making him their💸 fourth highest all-time top scorer, overtaking Santillana.[213] With his goal against Sevilla in La Liga on 28 November, he became💸 the highest French goalscorer in club football matches, overtaking Thierry Henry.[214] On 8 January, Benzema scored his 300th goal for💸 Madrid, converting a penalty in a 4–1 win at home in La Liga against Valencia.[215]
On 9 March, he scored a💸 hat-trick within 17 minutes in a remarkable comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16. At the💸 age of 34, Benzema became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League era.[216] With the three💸 goals, Benzema brought his tally to 309, overtaking Alfredo Di Stéfano as Real Madrid's third-highest all-time goalscorer.[217] On 14 March,💸 Benzema scored a brace in a La Liga match against Mallorca and broke Henry's record, becoming all-time top French goalscorer💸 with 413 goals.[218] On 6 April, he scored another hat-trick in the Champions League in a 3–1 away win over💸 Chelsea in the first leg of the quarter-finals.[219] Benzema became only the second player (after Cristiano Ronaldo) to score back-to-back💸 hat-tricks in successive Champions League knockout matches.[220] One week later in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, Benzema scored💸 a 96th minute header in extra time which proved pivotal, as Madrid lost to Chelsea 2–3 on the night but💸 qualified for the semi-finals 5–4 on aggregate.[221]
On 30 April 2024, he helped Real clinch their 35th Spanish title with a💸 goal in a 4–0 win against Espanyol at the Bernabéu.[222] On 4 May, he scored a decisive goal from the💸 penalty spot in extra time in the second leg against Manchester City and helped Real Madrid reach their 17th European💸 Cup final.[223] By the end of the 2024–22 La Liga season, Benzema won his first Pichichi Trophy with 27 goals💸 in 32 matches.[224] On 28 May, he won his fifth Champions League title after a 1–0 win over Liverpool in💸 the final, and finished the tournament as top scorer with 15 goals in total.[225] On 31 May, Benzema was named💸 the inaugural Champions League player of the season.[226] On 13 August, he was nominated for the Ballon d'Or, widely considered💸 a favourite to win it.[227] In recognition of his performances that season, Benzema was awarded the Ballon d'Or on 17💸 October.[228]
2024–23: Captaincy, all-time second top scorer and departure
With the departure of Marcelo, Benzema was promoted to captain as the most💸 senior member of the squad.[229] By scoring in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt on 10 August 2024,💸 Benzema brought his tally to 324 goals, overtaking Raúl as Real Madrid's all-time second-highest goalscorer.[230]
On 2 April 2024, Benzema scored💸 a hat-trick in 6 minutes and 30 seconds in a 6–0 win over Real Valladolid, to become the third fastest💸 hat-trick scorer in his club's history in La Liga, only behind Pahiño who netted three goals in 4 minutes in💸 1950 and Fernando Hierro who scored them in 6 minutes in 1992.[231] Just three days later, he scored a back-to-back💸 hat-trick in a 4–0 away victory against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, to become the second Real Madrid💸 player to achieve this feat in El Clásico after Iván Zamorano in 1995 and the second Real Madrid player to💸 score a hat-trick at the Camp Nou after Ferenc Puskás in 1963.[232] On 6 May, Benzema was part of the💸 team that won against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final.[233]
On 4 June, Real Madrid confirmed that Benzema would depart💸 from the club following the conclusion of the 2024–23 season.[234][235] Benzema was given a rapturous reception by Madrid fans in💸 his last game against Athletic Bilbao, in which he scored. Benzema was substituted for Luka Modric in the 74th minute,💸 leaving the field to an ovation from the Madrid supporters.[236]
Al-Ittihad
On 6 June 2024, Saudi Professional League club Al-Ittihad announced the💸 signing of Benzema on a free transfer.[237] Two days later, Al-Ittihad formally presented him as their new signing at an💸 elaborate ceremony. This event, hosted at the King Abdullah Sports City, was attended by a large number of fans.[238] He💸 scored a goal and provided an assist on his debut on 27 July in a 2–1 victory over Espérance de💸 Tunis during the Arab Club Champions Cup.[239]
International career
Youth
Benzema is a former France youth international having earned caps at all levels💸 for which he was eligible, excluding the under-16 team. He is a member of the group, commonly known in France💸 as the Génération 1987, a youth class that produced current internationals Hatem Ben Arfa, Jérémy Ménez and Samir Nasri, alongside💸 himself.[240] Benzema was the last of the four to make his youth international debut under coach Philippe Bergeroo and officially💸 joined the team ahead of the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship that was played on home soil. In the competition,💸 he appeared in two matches. On his tournament debut, Benzema scored the opening goal in a 3–1 win over Northern💸 Ireland.[241] His lone other appearance in the competition was in a 1–0 group stage win over Spain as France went💸 on to win the tournament defeated the same team in the final.[242][243]
Benzema was a regular starter in the team at💸 under-18 level. He made his debut with the team at a local tournament in the Czech Republic. Benzema scored his💸 first goal at under-18 level in the competition against Poland in the team's final group stage match.[244] In the final💸 against the hosts, he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win as France were declared champions of the competition.[245]💸 On 30 September 2004, Benzema was one of three goalscorers in France's 3–0 away win over Norway.[246] In the team's💸 next match against Russia, he scored a double in a 3–1 victory.[247] Due to France winning the 2004 U17 European💸 title, the under-18 team was allowed participation in the 2005 Meridian Cup. Benzema was called up to the team for💸 the competition and played in all four matches, scoring a tournament-high five goals as France were crowned champions of the💸 tournament.[248] He opened the tournament by scoring two goals in a 7–0 victory over Cameroon.[249] After going scoreless in the💸 team's next match against Sierra Leone, Benzema responded by scoring a goal in a shutout victory over Nigeria and netting💸 another double in a 4–1 win against Egypt.[250][251] On 19 May 2005, in the team's final match of the season💸 against Slovakia, Benzema scored all four goals in a 4–1 victory.[252] He finished the under-18 campaign with 18 appearances and💸 a team-high 14 goals and was, subsequently, praised by Bergeroo who, following the campaign, declared that Benzema was "quite efficient".[253]
The💸 foursome of Benzema, Ben Arfa, Ménez and Nasri returned to international play together for under-19 duty. The four were joined💸 by Issiar Dia, Blaise Matuidi and Serge Gakpé with the objective of winning the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. The💸 team opened the campaign with two friendly matches against Norway. Over the course of the two matches, Benzema scored one💸 goal, which came in the first match, a 4–0 win.[254] In the first round of qualification for the UEFA-sanctioned tournament,💸 he scored his only goal in the final group match against Austria.[255] France won the match 2–0, which resulted in💸 the team progressing to the Elite Round.[256] In the ensuing round, France were placed in a relatively easy group alongside💸 Scotland, Bulgaria, and Belarus. In the opening group game against Bulgaria, Benzema scored a double converting a penalty and scoring💸 in play as France won 4–0.[257] Both of his goals were scored within a minute of each other.[258] After surprisingly💸 drawing 0–0 with Belarus, France faced Scotland in the final group stage match. Benzema opened the scoring in the 11th💸 minute, but his goal was cancelled out by Steven Fletcher in the second half.[259] The match ultimately finished 1–1 and,💸 despite finishing the round undefeated, France were eliminated after being beaten on points by the Scots.[260]
Benzema made his under-21 debut💸 for Les Espoirs under coach René Girard in the team's first match following the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship against💸 Belgium. He started the match and was replaced at half-time by Yoann Gourcuff.[261] He featured in qualification matches for the💸 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and appeared as a starter and substitute in the first leg and second leg, respectively,💸 of the team's surprising defeat to Israel in the qualifying playoffs.[262][263] Despite still being eligible to represent the under-21 team💸 until 2009, his appearance in the second leg defeat to Israel was Benzema's last with the team and he finished💸 his under-21 career with five appearances and no goals. Prior to representing France at senior international level, Benzema was courted💸 by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) who sought for the player to represent Algeria at senior international level. In December💸 2006, the striker was approached by former federation president Hamid Haddadj and then-national team coach Jean-Michel Cavalli, but turned down💸 the invitation citing his desire to continue his international career with France.[264] Benzema later told French radio station Radio Monte💸 Carlo "Algeria is my parents' country and it is in my heart, but football-wise, I will only play for the💸 French national team".[265]
Senior
Euro 2008
Benzema playing for France in 2008
Benzema was called up for the first time to the senior national💸 team by Raymond Domenech on 9 November 2006 for the team's friendly match against Greece that would be played on💸 15 November. Benzema described the call-up as "a reward", while also stating "I am pleased, of course, me and my💸 family. A (the senior national team), is the national team's highest honor".[266] Two days before the match, he was forced💸 to withdraw from the team due to a thigh injury, which he suffered while playing domestically for Lyon.[267] After failing💸 to make the squad for the team's February 2007 match against Argentina, Benzema returned to the team in March for💸 a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Lithuania and a friendly against Austria.[268] After failing to appear in the qualifier,💸 he made his international debut on 28 March 2007 against Austria. Benzema appeared as a half-time substitute for Djibril Cissé💸 and scored the only goal of the match after a free-kick from Samir Nasri.[269] On 13 October, Benzema scored a💸 double in a 6–0 win against the Faroe Islands.[270] After appearing regularly in the team for the rest of the💸 2007–08 season, he was named to the 23-man squad to participate in UEFA Euro 2008.
Benzema made his debut in the💸 competition on 9 June 2008 in the team's opening match against Romania. Benzema started the match, but was substituted out💸 for Nasri in the second half after a frustrating performance.[271] The match finished 0–0 and Benzema was, subsequently, criticized by💸 the French media for his performance with newspaper Le Point declaring that Benzema was "unrecognizable" and that he "symbolized the💸 impotence of France in the attack".[272] The newspaper also cited his lack of international experience for his subdued performance. In💸 the team's next group game against the Netherlands, Benzema played no part in the 4–1 defeat.[273] He returned to the💸 team in its final group game against Italy and was given a place in the starting lineup.[274] However, France lost💸 2–0 and were eliminated from the competition.[275]
In November 2008, Benzema, among several other young players in the team, was accused💸 of being insolent during the team's campaign at the European Championship. The accusation came from international teammate William Gallas who💸 inserted the charge in his autobiography. Though most of Gallas' accusations were directed at Nasri,[276][277][278] during the competition, it was💸 reported by newspaper Le Parisien that several of the national team players described Benzema as "arrogant" and that the striker💸 was scolded by midfielder Claude Makélélé following the team's loss to the Netherlands.[279]
2010 World Cup omission
Despite the reports from after💸 Euro 2008, Benzema remained a regular in the team and, ahead of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, switched💸 to the number ten shirt after previously wearing the number nine.[280] In the team's first match following its elimination from💸 Euro 2008, Benzema scored a goal in a 3–2 friendly win over Sweden in Gothenburg.[281] Two months later, he scored💸 another goal in a 3–1 victory against Tunisia at the Stade de France.[282] On 5 June 2009, Benzema converted the💸 only goal of the match, a penalty shot, in a 1–0 win over Turkey at the Stade de Gerland, his💸 home stadium.[283] He scored his first World Cup qualification goals in victories over the Faroe Islands and Austria in October💸 2009. His cap against Austria would be his last of the Domenech era as he failed to make France's preliminary💸 30-man squad for the World Cup. Domenech cited Benzema's struggle for form with his new club Real Madrid, rather than💸 his alleged involvement in a sex scandal as his reason for leaving the striker out.[284] Prior to the list being💸 unveiled, Benzema informed Radio Monte Carlo that if he was not selected he would be "very disappointed, but not killed"💸 and "I will support the France team no matter what".[285]
Euro 2012
Benzema playing for France at UEFA Euro 2012
Following the World💸 Cup, Benzema returned to the national team under the reign of new coach Laurent Blanc. Blanc, an admirer of Benzema,💸 sought to build the attack around the striker and, after going almost a year without representing France, Benzema made his💸 return to the team in its 2–1 defeat to Norway in Oslo.[286][287] Alongside Gourcuff, Benzema led the team in scoring💸 in qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012, netting three. He scored his three goals in wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg,💸 and Albania.[288][289][290] On 17 November 2010, Benzema scored the opening goal in France's 2–1 win over England at Wembley Stadium.[291]💸 In the team's next match against Brazil in February 2011, he scored the only goal for France in a 1–0💸 win.[292] After appearing regularly in qualifying for Euro 2012, on 29 May 2012, Benzema was named to the squad to💸 participate in the competition.[293] On 5 June, in the team's final warm-up friendly ahead of the European Championship, Benzema scored💸 two goals in a 4–0 shutout win over Estonia.[294] At Euro 2012, Benzema started the team's opening match against England,💸 which ended in a 1–1 draw.[295] In the team's ensuing group stage match against Ukraine, he assisted both the goals💸 in a 2–0 win.[296]
2014 World Cup
On 11 October 2013, Benzema scored his first goal for the France national team since💸 June 2012 in a friendly against Australia, thus ending a scoring drought for his national team which had lasted 1,222💸 minutes. In that match played at the Parc des Princes in Paris, which France won 6–0, Benzema scored France's sixth💸 and final goal in the 50th minute after turning home Franck Ribéry's left-wing cross.[297] In the second leg of the💸 2014 World Cup qualification play-off against Ukraine held on 19 November 2013 at the Stade de France, Benzema scored France's💸 second goal in the 34th minute to level the aggregate score at 2–2. Benzema scored his goal when he side-footed💸 home after a huge scramble in the Ukrainian penalty box, although he was shown on television replays to be offside💸 by almost one metre when the ball took a final touch off Mathieu Valbuena's chest. Benzema had four minutes earlier💸 been denied a legitimate goal, the offside flag wrongly raised when he turned in Ribéry's low cross into the net💸 with his torso a metre from the Ukrainian goal-line. Ukraine had won the first leg of the play-off 2–0 in💸 Kyiv just four days earlier. France would eventually win the second leg 3–0 to advance to the 2014 World Cup💸 finals in Brazil with a 3–2 aggregate scoreline.[298]
On 6 June 2014, Benzema was named in France's squad for the 2014💸 FIFA World Cup, making his debut in the tournament.[299] In the team's first match, a 3–0 win against Honduras in💸 Porto Alegre on 15 June, he scored a goal in each half, the first from a penalty kick. He also💸 took part in the team's second goal, when his shot rebounded off the post and was fumbled over the goal-line💸 by Honduran goalkeeper Noel Valladares for an own goal, the first World Cup goal given by goal-line technology.[300] He was💸 named by FIFA as man of the match for his performance.[301] In the second group fixture, he scored and had💸 a penalty saved in a 5–2 defeat of Switzerland, as Les Bleus all but secured qualification to the knockout stage.[302]💸 France were later knocked out by eventual winners Germany in the quarter-final stage of the tournament.[303]
2024–2024 exclusion
After last featuring for💸 France in a 4–0 win against Armenia on 8 October 2024, French Football Federation announced on 13 April 2024 that💸 Benzema would not be picked for Euro 2024 tournament on home soil.[304] This happened after a blackmailing affair involving fellow💸 French team player Mathieu Valbuena (see §Controversies and legal issues). He responded on 1 June 2024 in Marca, in an💸 interview entitled 'Benzema: "Deschamps folded due to pressure from France's racist element"'.[305]
Benzema was also left off the roster for the💸 2024 World Cup in Russia.[306] Directing his frustration at FFF president Noël Le Graët, Benzema later tweeted: "Mr Le Graët,💸 with all due respect, you've lost an opportunity to remain silent. I've discovered your true face, and this isn't the💸 one that said he appreciated me and wouldn't discuss the subject of team selections!"[307]
In November 2024, Benzema replied to Le💸 Graët's comments that his career with France was over, by saying: "If you think I'm done, let me play with💸 one of the other countries I am eligible for and we'll see".[308]
Return to the squad, Nations League victory and retirement
On💸 18 May 2024, following speculation from the media, Benzema was officially included in France's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024,💸 his first call-up to the national team in over five years.[309] He made his first appearance since his return on💸 2 June, in a 3–0 home win over Wales, in a friendly warm-up match before the final tournament, during which💸 he missed a penalty, but was later also involved in the final goal scored by Antoine Griezmann.[310] On 23 June💸 2024, he scored a brace in a 2–2 draw against Portugal, to be his first goals in the European Championship.[311]💸 He subsequently scored another brace in France's round-of-16 match against Switzerland, where France were knocked out of the tournament on💸 penalties after a 3–3 draw.[312] With four goals in as many games, Benzema won the Euro 2024 bronze boot.[313]
In the💸 2024 UEFA Nations League semi-final on 7 October, Benzema scored France's first goal in the second half as they came💸 from behind to defeat Belgium 3–2.[314] He overtook Zidane in the France scoring records as he scored his 32nd goal💸 for Le Blues to become the 6th top scorer in their history.[315] In the Final three days later, he scored💸 the temporary equaliser as France went on to clinch the title for the first time with a 2–1 victory over💸 Spain;[316] he was named "Player of the Match" by UEFA for his performance in the final.[317] With two goals, he💸 was the joint–top scorer of the Nations League Finals, along with Spain's Ferran Torres and teammate Kylian Mbappé, who won💸 the top scorer trophy due to having also provided two assists – Benzema won the bronze boot due to playing💸 more minutes than Torres.[318] The Nations League was Benzema's first trophy with France's senior team and his 27th of his💸 career, making him the most decorated Frenchman in football history.[319]
On 13 November 2024, Benzema scored his first goals in the💸 2024 World Cup qualifiers with a brace in an 8–0 win over Kazakhstan as France booked their place for Qatar💸 2024.[320] His brace saw him over-take David Trezeguet to become Les Bleus' fifth all-time top scorer with 35 goals.[321] Although💸 he was included in France's final squad for the 2024 FIFA World Cup, on 19 November, the French Football Federation💸 stated that Benzema would be forced to miss the tournament due to a thigh injury.[322][323] Despite not taking part in💸 the tournament, Benzema was still awarded the silver medal as he was not replaced by another player unlike Christopher Nkunku,💸 who was replaced by Randal Kolo Muani.[324] On 19 December, Benzema announced his retirement from the national team.[325]
Style of play
Generally💸 known for both his finishing and playmaking,[326] Benzema is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time.[4][5] He💸 is a creative, skillful, quick, agile, and prolific forward, who is good in the air and capable of playing off💸 the shoulders of the last defender,[327][328][329] and has been described as an "immensely talented striker" who is "strong and powerful"💸 and "a potent finisher from inside the box" with either foot, as well as his head, despite being naturally right💸 footed.[330][327] He is considered to be one of the best strikers of his generation, with his Real Madrid manager Ancelotti💸 describing him "the best striker in the world" in 2024.[331][332]
An atypical number 9, although he is usually deployed as a💸 centre forward, and can operate as an out-and-out striker, Benzema is also capable of playing in several other offensive positions,💸 and has been used on the wing, or even as a playmaker behind the main striker, either in the number💸 10 role as an attacking midfielder, or as a deep-lying forward. In addition to his goalscoring, Benzema is known for💸 his willingness and ability to drop into deeper or wider positions, and either link-up play with midfielders, or use his💸 strength and technical ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal to provide assists for teammates, courtesy💸 of his vision, creativity, passing, and eye for the final ball;[nb 1] his playing style led one commentator to describe💸 him as a "nine and a half".[337] Highlighting his prolific goalscoring and his creative abilities, Benzema ranks as Madrid's all-time💸 second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider, with 328 goals and 104 assists respectively.[7][338]
During his time at Madrid, Benzema has also💸 been praised by pundits for his work-rate and tactical intelligence off the ball, as well as his positional sense and💸 attacking movement as a forward, which often draws opposing defenders out of position, and in turn creates spaces for his💸 teammates; as such, he formed a strong offensive partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo during the latter's time with the club. Indeed,💸 Benzema's movement drew defenders away and created space for Ronaldo to make attacking runs into the centre of the area💸 from the left wing, which essentially saw the Frenchman act as a false 9.[nb 2] Following Ronaldo's departure in 2024,💸 he took on a new role as the club's main striker, playing with his back to goal less frequently, and💸 instead receiving the ball facing the goal and taking more touches inside the penalty area; in this position, he also💸 often drifted out wide onto the left flank, while he was able to utilise his control and touch on the💸 ball effectively to create goalscoring opportunities for himself inside the box. The positional change saw an increase in his goalscoring💸 output for the club and an improvement in his shooting, for which he had occasionally come under criticism from the💸 press in the past, as demonstrated by the variety of his goals, his conversion rate, and his clinical finishing with💸 his feet as well as his head; however, in addition to taking over the role of the team's main goalscorer,💸 he also still continued to serve as link-up player for the team's front line by creating chances for his teammates.[342][343]
Personal💸 life
(above) and a commercial (below) for Real Madrid in 2024 and 2024, respectively Benzema in an Adidas music videoand a💸 commercialfor Real Madrid in 2024 and 2024, respectively
Benzema was born in Lyon to French nationals of Algerian descent.[11][344] His grandfather,💸 Da Lakehal Benzema, lived in the village of Tigzirt, located in the northern town of Aït Djellil in Algeria before💸 migrating to Lyon, where he eventually settled in the 1950s.[345] Benzema's father, Hafid, was born in Tigzirt, while his mother,💸 Wahida Djebbara, was born and raised in Lyon; her family originated from Oran. Benzema is the third youngest in the💸 family and grew up with eight other siblings in Bron, an eastern suburb of Lyon.[345] His younger brothers Gressy and💸 Sabri are also footballers.[346] The former plays at the amateur level with Vaulx-le-Velin in the Division d'Honneur, the sixth division💸 of French football, while the latter plays in the youth academy of a club in the family's hometown of Bron.[347][348]
On💸 3 February 2014, his then-girlfriend Chloé de Launay gave birth to their daughter Mélia in Madrid.[349] On 5 May 2024,💸 his girlfriend Cora Gauthier gave birth to their son Ibrahim.[350] A practicing Muslim, Benzema observes fasting during the Islamic holy💸 month of Ramadan.[351] He has spoken about his faith saying: "My faith helps me to be focused every day. It💸 brings me benefits and it's my strength for me, my family, as well as for my work – for literally💸 everything."[352] In October 2024, Benzema expressed solidarity with the victims of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.[353]
Benzema has been dating American model💸 Jordan Ozuna since 2024, and confirmed their relationship on Instagram.[354] Ozuna is the mother of Benzema's fourth child. In 2024,💸 Ozuna converted to Islam.[355][356]
Since evolving internationally, Benzema has participated in numerous advertising campaigns. He was chosen as an ambassador of💸 the American video game publisher Electronic Arts for the FIFA series. He has signed several sponsorship contracts, notably with the💸 Korean automobile manufacturer Hyundai, the French telephone operator SFR and its subsidiary BuzzMobile, the French bank LCL and the sports💸 betting company bwin. Benzema is sponsored by Adidas.[357] In 2024, his documentary film Le K Benzema was released.[358] In 2024,💸 Benzema started his own YouTube channel, uploading videos of his everyday life, as well as interviews and fan Q&As.[359][360] In💸 2024, Benzema was named official ambassador of the Fendi Faster sneaker line.[361]
Controversies and legal issues
On 6 December 2006, he told💸 RMC about his possible selection for the Algerian team: "It's my parents' country, it's in my heart. But well, from💸 a sporting perspective, it's true I'll play in the French team. I'll always be available for the French team [...]💸 It's more for the sporting side, because Algeria is my country, you see, my parents come from there. France, on💸 the other hand ... it's more of a sport thing, that's it."[362] Benzema drew some criticism for these comments, as💸 well as for his reluctance to sing the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise", before each match with the national team.[363][364]
On💸 18 April 2010, French television channel M6 reported that four members of the French national team were being investigated for💸 their roles as clients in a prostitute ring operated inside of a Paris nightclub, with some of the women possibly💸 being underage. The players were eventually revealed to be Franck Ribéry, Sidney Govou, Hatem Ben Arfa and Benzema.[365][366] Benzema was💸 alleged to have had a sexual rendezvous with a prostitute when she was 16 years of age, an act Benzema💸 denied through his lawyer.[367] On 20 July, Benzema was questioned by Paris police and indicted on the charge of "solicitation💸 of a minor prostitute".[368][369] In November 2011, prosecutors asked for the cases against Ribéry and Benzema to be dropped, saying💸 that the players were not aware that the escort, identified as Zahia Dehar, was 16 years old.[370] However, the case💸 did go on to trial. In January 2014, the judge in the case dropped the charges against both Ribery and💸 Benzema saying there was lack of sufficient evidence that the pair knew the prostitutes were underaged.[371]
On 4 November 2024, Benzema💸 was arrested by French police for his alleged part in blackmailing fellow France international player Mathieu Valbuena over the alleged💸 recording of a sex-tape on a mobile phone.[372] During the investigation over the blackmail plot, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls💸 stated, "A great athlete should be exemplary. If he is not, he has no place in the France team. There💸 are so many kids, so many youngsters in our suburbs that relate to great athletes. They wear the blue jersey,💸 the colours of France, which are so important in these moments."[373][374] On 10 December 2024, the president of the FFF💸 Noël Le Graët announced the provisional suspension of the striker from the French team until a new development in the💸 affair.[375] On 17 February 2024, the judicial review was lifted by the investigating judge who allowed Benzema to get in💸 touch again with Valbuena. On 11 July 2024, the Court of Cassation issued a judgment in which it invalidated a💸 decision of the Court of Appeal of Versailles, which had validated the procedure by which Benzema had been indicted for💸 complicity of attempted blackmail. This decision was made on the basis of contesting the legality of the phone calls recording💸 by the police, and the judgement did not disprove the veracity of the blackmail attempt on Valbuena by Benzema.[376] On💸 7 January 2024, the public prosecutor's office in Versailles announced that Benzema would face trial for his alleged involvement in💸 the blackmail attempt.[377] On 24 November 2024, Benzema was found guilty of conspiring to blackmail Valbuena with a sex tape.[378][379]💸 The judge gave him a one-year suspended sentence and fined him €75,000.[378][379] His lawyers said they will appeal his conviction.[378]💸 He was sentenced in this case in June 2024 to a one-year suspended sentence and a fine of £63,000, after💸 having abandoned the appeal procedure. Benzema's lawyer indicated their intention to appeal the verdict.[380][381]
In March 2024, during an Instagram livestream💸 with YouTuber and internet personality Mohamed Henni,[382] Benzema made controversial remarks about French player Olivier Giroud, who replaced Benzema in💸 the France national team.[383] He called Giroud "karting" while he referred to himself as "Formula 1".[384] On 10 March 2024,💸 France head coach Didier Deschamps stated in an interview with Le Parisien that he had told Benzema following his injury💸 prior to the 2024 FIFA World Cup that there was "no emergency" and that he could "organize his return" from💸 injury with the team manager. Deschamps then claimed that Benzema made the decision to leave the France team himself, saying💸 "when I woke up, I learned that he had left". However, Benzema responded on his Instagram story by reposting the💸 Deschamps statement in the interview with the caption "but what audacity". He posted a further story of French Snapchat personality💸 Ritchie repeating the phrase "liar, you are a liar".[385]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 26 December 2024[386][387]
International
Appearances and goals by national💸 team and year[388] National team Year Apps Goals France 2007 8 3 2008 11 2 2009 8 3 2010 5💸 3 2011 10 2 2012 12 2 2013 10 3 2014 13 7 2024 4 2 2024 13 9 2024💸 3 1 Total 97 37
Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Benzema goal[389]
Honours
Lyon[390]
Real💸 Madrid[390]
France U17
France
Individual
See also
Notes
