Wikiake

About

Karim Benzema is a French professional footballer who is best known as a legendary striker for La Liga club Real Madrid. He is Real Madrid’s all-time second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider. Benzema has won 24 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, three Copa del Rey, and five UEFA Champions League titles.

Before Fame

Benzema began his career with hometown club Olympique Lyonnais in 2005, contributing sporadically to three Ligue 1 title wins.

Trivia

He 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 2015; he later returned to the squad before announcing his international retirement in December 2022. He has been named French Player of the Year by France Football four times. For his performances in 2021 and 2022, 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.

Family Life

Karim Benzema was born on December 19, 1987, in Lyon, France. Benzema’s father, Hafid, was born in Tigzirt, while his mother, Wahida Djebbara, was born and raised in Lyon. Benzema is the third youngest in the family and grew up with eight other siblings in Bron, an eastern suburb of Lyon. His younger brothers Gressy and Sabri are also footballers.

Associated with

He played beside Real Madrid another legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo.