Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Real Madrid, who he captains, and the France national team. A creative and prolific forward known for his playmaking and finishing, Benzema is often regarded as one of the best strikers of all time. He ranks as Real Madrid's all-time second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider.Born in Lyon to Algerian parents, Benzema began his senior 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 signed for Real Madrid in a transfer worth €35 million. After struggling to establish himself in his debut season, he eventually achieved a consistent goalscoring rate with the club, and notably went on to be part of a highly rated trio alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale — dubbed BBC — who were integral to a period where Real Madrid won four UEFA Champions League titles from 2014 to 2018.
Following Ronaldo's departure in 2018, Benzema transitioned from the false 9 position into a sole striker. His prominence in Real Madrid's squad significantly increased, with him being named in the La Liga Team of the Season in 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22, awarded the league's Best Player in 2019–20 and 2021–22, and also winning the Pichichi Trophy in 2021–22. Captaining the team, his notable career-high performances during Real Madrid's victory in the 2021–22 Champions League have been hailed as one of the finest individual campaigns in the competition's history, in addition to becoming the top scorer and winning the Player of the Season award. Benzema has won 23 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, two Copa del Rey, and five Champions League titles.
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 has since earned over 90 caps, including scoring in three and appearing in four major tournaments: the 2008, 2012 and 2020 editions of the UEFA European Championship, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first goal in a friendly against Austria, and ranks as his nation's fifth-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 scandal in 2015; he returned to the squad for Euro 2020. He has been named French Player of the Year by France Football four times.
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