A talented and prolific forward, Karim Benzema is renowned for both his playmaking and finishing. Benzema is regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation and has been characterized as an “immensely skilled striker” who is “strong and powerful” and “a deadly finisher from inside the box” with either foot as well as his head.
He is second among all time goal scorers and assist producers for Real Madrid. With Real Madrid, Benzema has amassed 23 trophies, including five UEFA Champions League titles, two Copa del Reys, and four La Liga championships.
Karim Benzema, a striker for Real Madrid, was ruled out of the World Cup on Saturday night due to a thigh injury sustained during training, and France manager Didier Deschamps has announced that no substitute would be named.
The reigning champions have already lost one attacking player, Christopher Nkunku of RB Leipzig, and in that case, Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani was called up. To replace Benzema, who has already left Qatar, Deschamps has stated that no new player will be brought to the team.
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Who Is Karim Benzema?
A striker for both the French national team and the Spanish professional football club “Real Madrid,” Karim Mostafa Benzema is a French football player in the professional ranks. Hafid Benzema and Wahida Djebbara, French citizens of Algerian heritage, gave birth to him on December 19, 1987, in Lyon, France.
At the age of nine, he began playing football for Lyon, a French team situated in Lyon called “Olympique Lyonnais.” He made his professional debut in the 2004-2005 campaign, and in the 2007-2008 campaign, when ‘Lyon’ won their eighth straight league championship, he began to gain notoriety.
He became the season’s leading scorer, scoring almost 30 goals. He was chosen by the National Union of Professional Footballers as the “Ligue 1 Player of the Year” and included in the “Team of the Year” (UNFP). In 2009, he committed to a six-year deal with “Real Madrid,” where he has since won the Copa del Rey and La Liga among other honours.
He tripled his previous winnings for “French Player of the Year.” It’s equally impressive to see how well he played for the national team. He played in the ‘Under-17’ squad that captured the ‘UEFA European Under-17 Championship’ in 2004.
He participated in three significant international competitions after making his senior debut in March 2007: the ‘UEFA European Football Championship’ in 2008 and 2012, as well as the ‘FIFA World Cup’ in 2014.
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Karim Benzema Career
He was accepted into the Lyon academy at the age of 16 and played in the League Champion National des 16 where he scored 38 goals. On January 15, 2005, he played his first game as a professional, which Lyon won 2-0 over F C Metz.
In his presence, Lyon won their fourth League Championship after signing him for a three-year contract. Benzema scored his first career goal against Norwegian team Rosenberg on December 25, 2005, as he made his UEFA Champions League debut.
He scored 20 goals in the 2007-2008 season, leading his league in goal scoring, and the next year, in 2007, he was on fire. He continued to play well in upcoming competitions, such as the Coupe de la Ligue, where he scored one goal in addition to the four goals in the Champions League and the six goals in the Coupe de France.
He committed to Real Madrid on July 9th, 2009. On April 16, 2014, at Mestalla Valencia, he participated in a commemorative game against Barcelona and helped the Galacticos upset their bitter rivals by a score of 2-1 to win the Copa Del Rey.
He extended his Real Madrid contract until 2021 on September 20, 2017, after signing a new 5-year deal with the club on August 6, 2014. After joining the French U-17 team in 2004, Benzema advanced through the ranks, making his senior team debut on March 28, 2007, against Austria.
He participated in both the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups as a member of the French team. He played a crucial role in the Euro 2012 and Euro 2016 campaigns, as well. Benzema, who unfortunately did not participate in the team that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is anticipated to return.
Karim Benzema Got Injured
The 2022 World Cup will not be held in Qatar because France’s renowned striker Karim Benzema injured his thigh during practise on Saturday, according to the French soccer federation (FFF). According to its announcement, “Karim Benzema is out of the World Cup” (h/t AP). The Real Madrid striker is forced to abandon his World Cup participation after injuring his left quadriceps.
After experiencing pain while sprinting, Benzema immediately had an MRI in Doha, and the results showed that his recovery time would be at least three weeks. Though I’ve never given up in my life, Benzema stated on Instagram that “tonight I have to think of the team, as I have always done.”
Therefore, logic dictates that I give up my spot to a player who can contribute to our team’s World Cup success. We appreciate all of your kind words. Karim had made winning this World Cup a top priority, and I’m really unhappy for him, said French coach Didier Deschamps.
After a six-year absence from the national team due to his suspected involvement in a sex video controversy, including missing France’s World Cup victory in 2018, the 34-year-old Benzema was finally returning to the biggest stage in sports. He won the Ballon d’Or, an annual accolade given to the world’s best player, last month after he assisted the Spanish giants in winning the Champions League thanks to a miraculous turnaround with his club team, Real Madrid.
Only five Frenchmen have ever won the Ballon d’Or, and he is the first since Zinadine Zidane in 1998. He will also be the first winner of the prize to skip the World Cup since 1978. (Allan Simonsen of Denmark). Deschamps was also prompted to reinstate Benzema in the national team, where he scored 10 goals in 16 games.
Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, and Christopher Nkunku were all forced to the sidelines due to injuries that had been spreading through the French team. The attacking burden for France will shift to Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain in Benzema’s absence, with help needed from players like Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, and Ousmane Dembele.
Deschamps remarked, “Despite this latest setback for the French team, I have full trust in my group. The enormous challenge that lies ahead will be met with everything we have. Tuesday’s World Cup opener for Les Bleus will take place in Group D play against Australia.
Karim Benzema Awards And Achievements
- Bravo Award: 2008
- Ligue 1 Top Goalscorer: 2007-08
- UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: January 2008, April 2008
- UNFPLigue 1 Player of the Year: 2007-08
- UNFPLigue 1 Team of the Year: 2007-08
- Étoile d’Or: 2007-08
- FIFA FIFPro World XINominee: 2009, 2011, 2012
- FIFA FIFPro World XI 3rd team: 2015, 2017
- FIFA FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2014, 2016
- FIFA FIFPro World XI 5th team: 2018
- UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2011-12
- La Liga Player of the Month: October 2014
- French Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2014
- Fastest goal in an El Clásicoon 10 December 2011 (21 seconds)
- Trophées UNFP for Best French Player playing Abroad: 2019
Karim Benzema Net Worth
Karim Benzema’s net worth is anticipated to be $140 million at the end of November 2022. The list of the wealthiest athletes and football players in the world includes the French international.
Real Madrid and him have a contract that calls for him to receive a staggering 24 million euros in salary as of the 2022-23 season. Because of his enormous wealth, the football star has no trouble maintaining a comfortable lifestyle.
In Madrid, Spain, he is the owner of a lavish multimillion-dollar mansion. He owns property in Lyon with his family. His incredible collection of automobiles is worth £6 million and includes a Veyron and a Bugatti Chiron, each worth $2.5 million.
Conclusion
A striker for both the French national team and the Spanish team Real Madrid, Karim Benzema is a French professional football player. Because of his positioning, goal-scoring skills, and capacity for several goals, he is regarded as one of the most complete forwards in contemporary game.
His rapid acceleration, precise finishing, and superb dribbling abilities are some of his other notable qualities. There aren’t all that many French football players who are well-known worldwide at the moment. Given the numerous honours and distinctions Karim Benzema has received over his career, this is hardly surprising.
He has also participated in a number of games of note for both his club teams and the national squad. Because this is not the news they were searching for, French soccer fans may turn away. Karim Benzema will not play at the World Cup, according to numerous sources, after undergoing rehabilitation for an unidentified injury over the past few weeks.
His participation at the World Cup is uncertain because his first complete training session had to be cut short due to an injury. He was sent for imaging on his leg to determine the severity of the injury, and just a few hours later, the French team’s worst fears came true when it was determined that his left thigh injury was severe enough to keep him out of the competition for the entire tournament.
Throughout his career, Benzema has missed a tonne of time from representing his country since he was in court for trying to use a sex film to blackmail a Real Madrid colleague in 2015.
After being found guilty, he received a fine of 75,000 euros ($84,000) and a one-year imprisonment with probation. His future is even more unclear at this point as we ponder whether the troubled 34-year-time old’s wearing a French uniform is coming to an end.