Karim Benzema
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1987-12-19
    • Born Place: Lyon, France

Karim Benzema

Karim Mostafa Benzema is a highly decorated French professional footballer who plays as a striker and captains Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. Born on December 19, 1987, in Lyon, France, he began his professional career with Olympique Lyonnais, rising through their youth academy. He made his senior debut in 2004 and quickly became a key player, leading Lyon to four consecutive Ligue 1 titles before moving to Real Madrid in 2009.Benzema's 14-year tenure at Real Madrid cemented his status as one of the world's elite strikers. He became the club's second-highest goalscorer with 354 goals in 648 games and their top assist provider. With Real Madrid, he won an astonishing 25 titles, including five UEFA Champions League titles, four La Liga titles, and five FIFA Club World Cups. Notably, his exceptional performance in the 2021-2022 season, where he scored 44 goals and was the top scorer in both the Champions League and La Liga, earned him the prestigious Ballon d'Or and the UEFA Player of the Year award in 2022.Known for his technical prowess, vision, versatility, and intelligent movement, Benzema is not just a prolific goalscorer but also an outstanding playmaker, often dropping deep to link play and create chances for teammates. He formed a legendary attacking partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale ("BBC") during his time at Real Madrid, often playing a selfless role to facilitate their scoring.Internationally, Benzema represented France from the U17 level onwards, earning 97 caps and scoring 37 goals, making him France's sixth-highest all-time top goalscorer. He won the UEFA Nations League with the French national team in 2021. In 2023, after a highly successful period in Spain, he moved to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, where he currently captains the team.

Person History