Karim Benzema CF9: The Resilient Talisman of French Football and his Alluring Impact on Real Madrid’s Legacy
Karim Mostafa Benzema is a professional footballer from France who plays as a striker and captain of the La Liga club Real Madrid. In addition to his tremendous goal-scoring ability, technical abilities, vision, and adaptability on the pitch, he is appraised as one of the most prolific strikers of all time, making him a creative and prolific forward. Benzema was born on December 19th, 1987.
With 328 goals and 104 assists, Benzema is Madrid’s second-highest goalscorer and top assist maker; Benzema has become the player with the highest number of assists in Real Madrid and the second in Real Madrid’s all-time goal-scoring list. In Real Madrid, Benzema has won 23 trophies, including four La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey wins, and five UEFA Champions League crowns. In this article, you will find the answers to various questions about Karim Benzema’s age, nationality, wife, early club career, etc. If you’re ready, let’s dive in.
History and Family Background
Karim Benzema is from Lyon, the third largest city in France. He was born on December 19th, 1987, to Hafid Benzema (his father) and Wahida Djebbara (His mother). Benzema’s parents were born in Algeria and are both Muslims. The Real Madrid player has seven siblings, of which he is the sixth. His grandfather, Da Lekhal Benzema, lived in the northern Algerian city of Est Jalil in Tigzirt before moving to Lyon in 1950.
Early Life
The French player started getting attraction by the big clubs in Lyon after he scored two goals in an under-10 game against the Lyon youth academy team. Benzema started playing football at eight for his hometown’s Bron Terraillon SC team. During his time at the club, his friends named him “Coco.”
Lyon officials approached the then President of Bron Terraillon to sign the young Benzema, but Santa Cruz said no. But after a long talk with Benzema’s father, the club permitted the French player to try out for Lyon. After the trial, Benzema went on to sign with Lyon and joined the club’s youth team.
Club Career
Lyon
Benzema started his professional career with Lyon as a ballboy for the Lyon senior. He quickly moved up to the club youth academy. Before the 2004–05 season, Benzema got moved up to the club’s reserve team, which played in the fourth level of French football, the Championnat de France amateur. Benzema got 38 goals in France’s under-16 league, the Championnat National des 16 A.N.S., when he was only 16.
Even though he only played with the team in the fall, he led the team with ten goals and helped the Lyon reserve team come in second in its group. He quickly became known as one of France’s most talented young football players.
In 2004, Benzema got promoted to the first team. The French striker made his first professional appearance on January 15th, 2005, when he replaced Pierre-Alain Frau against Metz. The same month, he signed his first professional contract, a three-year deal.
Benzema signed a one-year contract extension with Lyon on March 13th, 2008, keeping him with the club till 2013. Benzema’s new deal made him one of the highest-paid footballers in France. As a result of his outstanding performance that year, he received the Ligue 1 Player of the Year Award, was named to the League’s All-Star Team, and was presented with the Trophée du Meilleur Buteur. France Football magazine also nominated him for the 2008 Ballon d’Or, and he received the 2008 Bravo prize for the best young European player.
The young French player helped Lyon win the League 1 title for four consecutive seasons (2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08) before moving to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid
Benzima Joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2009 for a transfer fee of about €35 million, but bonuses could increase it to €41 million.
After passing his medicals, Benzema signed his six-year contract with Real Madrid on July 1st, 2009—later that afternoon.
In the 2021-22 season, when Sergio Ramos went to P.S.G., Ancelotti made Benzema Real Madrid’s vice-captain for the 2021–22 season. Benzema signed a new contract with Real Madrid to keep him at the Spanish club until 2023.
Benzema was made captain as the most experienced player on the Real Madrid team when Marcelo left. On August 10th, 2022, Benzema’s goal against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 UEFA Super Cup made him Real Madrid’s second-highest striker.
Additionally, his hat-trick in 6 minutes and 30 seconds against Real Valladolid on April 2nd, 2023, made him the third fastest player in the history of his club’s La Liga team to score a hat-trick, after Pahio, who did it in 4 minutes in 1950. Three days later, in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Barcelona, becoming the second Real Madrid player to achieve this at Camp Nou after Ferenc Puskás in 1963.
Benzema has broken and also set new records in Real Madrid, such as becoming the first player in history to score in 17 consecutive Champions League seasons, becoming Real Madrid’s fourth-highest all-time top scorer, overtaking Santillana, the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the UEFA CL, Real Madrid’s third-highest all-time goalscorer, all-time top French goalscorer with 413 goals, and so much more.
International
Benzema used to play for France at the youth level, but he didn’t make the under-16 team. He did, however, get a cap at every other level. He officially joined the team before the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, which took place in France.
On November 9th, 2006, Raymond Domenech gave Benzema his first call-up to the French senior national team. However, he appeared internationally for the France National team on March 28th, 2007.
The French player has faced a series of controversies in his international career playing for France’s National team. He has been dropped and recalled back to the team several times.
For the first time in five years, Benzema was named to France’s 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020 on May 18th, 2021. Benzema took home the bronze boot at Euro 2020. However, Benzema was not included in France’s final 2018 Russia World Cup squad.
On October 7th, Benzema scored France’s first goal in the 2021 UEFA Nations League semi-final. He also passed Zidane in France’s scoring records when he scored his 32nd goal for Le Blues, making him the team’s sixth all-time top scorer. He tied with Spain’s Ferran Torres and partner Kylian Mbappé for most goals at the Nations League Finals. Mbappé won the top scorer prize because he also had two assists.
Benzema won the bronze boot because he played more minutes than Torres. His first trophy with France’s senior team was the Nations League. It was also his 27th title overall, making him the most decorated French football player in history.
Big Benz announced his retirement from international football On December 19th.
Style of Play
Benzema plays in the forward position for La Liga Club Real Madrid. The Frecnh-born striker is known for both his excellent finishing and playmaking skills. The Real Madrid player is a creative, quick, flexible, and prolific forward who is good in the air and can play off the shoulders of the last defender. He is a flexible striker who can score from inside and outside the box with either foot and his head, even though he is naturally right-footed.
Even though Benzema is usually used as a center forward and can play as a striker, he can also play in other offensive positions. He has been used on the wing and as a playmaker behind the central striker, either as a number 10 attacking midfielder or as a deep-lying forward. In addition to scoring goals, Benzema is known for being willing and able to drop into deeper or wider positions and link up with midfielders or use his strength and technical skills to hold the ball with his back to the goal to help his teammates, thanks to his vision, creativity, passing, and eye for the final ball.
Karim Benzema’s Net Worth
Karim Benzema’s estimated net worth is around $70 million. Benzema earns £278,000 per week. Big Benz is undoubtedly one of the highest-paid players at the club. Benzema’s weekly salary at Real Madrid is £278,000, and his yearly salary is £14,456,000.
Life Outside Football
Since Benzema is a devout Muslim, he abstains from eating and drinking throughout the daylight hours of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. During an interview, Benzema mentioned that his faith in God kept him focused and motivated. “It helps me and gives me power in my personal, family, professional, and all I do.”
He has made several marketing deals, including one with Korean car company Hyundai, the French phone company SFR and its subsidiary BuzzMobile, the French bank L.C.L., and the sports betting company Bwin. Adidas is paying Benzema to play soccer. His documentary Le K Benzema came out in 2017. In 2020, Benzema started his YouTube account, posting videos of his daily life, interviews, and fan Q&As.
Award and Achievements
Here’s a list of all of the awards, cup titles, and recognitions Benzema has had throughout his career:
Ligue 1 title winner for 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08
2007–08 Coupe de France winner
Two times winner of Trophée des Champions (2006 and 2007)
Won the La Liga title four times: 2011–12, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22
Won the Copa del Rey Cup twice in 2010–11, 2013–14
Three (2012, 2017, 2021–22) times winners of the Supercopa de España competition
Won the UEFA Champions League in 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2021–22
UEFA Super Cup winner in four different editions: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022
Five times winner of FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
International
Benz won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2004
He Won the UEFA Nations League in 2020–21
Individual
Benzema is the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner
Benzema was named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2021–22
Winner of the Golden Player Man Award for 2022
Two (2020–21 and 2021–22) times winners of the Onze d’Or
Selected as French Player of the Year for 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2021
Won the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season for 2021–22 and also UEFA Champions League top goalscorer for the same season
La Liga Player of the Season for 2019–20 and 2021–22
Voted La Liga Best Player for 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22
Back the Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano award back-to-back: 2019–20 and 2021–22
2021-22 Winner of Pichichi Trophy in 2021–22
Honored as the UEFA Champions League top assist provider for 2011–12
Award with the Globe Soccer Awards Men’s Player of the Year award for 2022
Received the Bravo Award in 2008
Emerged as Ligue 1 top scorer for the 2007–08 season and Coupe de France’s top scorer: in the same year
Selected as the U.N.F.P. Ligue 1 Player of the Month for January and April 2008
Won the U.N.F.P. Ligue 1 Player of the Year award 2007–08 and got enlisted in the U.N.F.P. Ligue 1 Team of the Year in the same season
Declared Golden Lion for the best Lyon sportsman for 2007, and 2008
Also, he received the French Rookie of the Year award in 2006
Won the Étoile d’Or for the 2007–08 season
Five times winner of La Liga Player of the Month: October 2014, June 2020, March 2021, September 2021, and April 2022
Finished as the Supercopa de España top scorer in back-to-back seasons: 2021–22, 2022–23
Voted Real Madrid Player of the Season for five consecutive times: 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20, and 2021–22
Declared Best French Player playing Abroad for three seasons straight: 2019, 2021, 2022
Received the AS Player of the Year Award 2021
Named Kicker Player of the Season for 2022
2005 UEFA–C.A.F. Meridian Cup top scorer award
Benzema took home the UEFA European Championship Bronze Boot in 2020 and the UEFA Nations League Finals Bronze Boot in 2021
UEFA Nations League Finals Goal of the Tournament: 2021
Won the La Liga top scorer award for 2021–22 season
Member of the Guinness World Record – Player with the most consecutive seasons in the U.E.F.A. Champions League (he has qualified for and played in the Champions League for 18 straight seasons without interruption since 2005).
Amazing things about Karim Benzema
Benzema has his name on the Guinness Book of Records for scoring in the UEFA Champions League for 18 straight seasons, starting in 2005-06. He shares the record with Lionel Messi.
Benzema is not the only footballer in his family. His younger brothers (Gressy and Sabri ) are also footballers. Gressy plays for Vaulx-le-Velin in the Division d’Honneur, the sixth level of French football, while Sabri plays for a club in the family’s town of Bron in the club’s youth school.
Big Benz has scored more goals than any other French player in history. The 35-year-old French player has scored 445 goals in 879 games at the top level. He scored 66 goals at Lyon, 342 for Real Madrid, and 37 for the France national team.
Benzema always wears a bandage on his right hand because he fractured his little finger due to a collision with Marc Barta, a Real Betis defender.
In 2017, Florent Bodin and Damien Piscarel made a movie called “Le K Benzema.” It was about Karim’s life from when he was a young boy living on the streets of Lyon to when he got kicked out of the France National team in 2016.
Benzema is one of the few players to have worn the numbers 9, 10, and 11. He wore the number 10 in Lyon. When he joined Real Madrid in 2009, he was given the number 11, and after Raúl left Real Madrid, Cristiano chose his favorite number, 7, and Benzema got the number 9. Since then, the French forward has been Real Madrid’s number 9.
