Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French striker and one of the best forwards of his time. In 2022 he won the Ballon d'Or, the prize for the best player of the year. He was born on 19 December 1987 in Lyon, in France.
Karim Benzema is a French striker and one of the best forwards of his time. In 2022 he won the Ballon d'Or, the prize for the best player of the year. He was born on 19 December 1987 in Lyon, in France.
On his father's side, Benzema's family comes from Aït Djellil, a village west of Béjaïa, and on his mother's side from the Oran region.
Olympique Lyonnais trained him, and with the club he won 4 French league titles. In 2009 he moved to Real Madrid, where he spent 14 seasons.
In Madrid he won the Champions League 5 times. His 354 goals in 648 matches are beaten by only one player in the club's history. With France he won the Nations League in 2021 and scored 37 goals in 97 matches before stopping in 2022.
At 35, the striker moved to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia and won the Saudi league in 2025. He joined Al-Hilal in February 2026, and his contract ended early by mutual agreement that August.
His Algerian roots are well known. His long career and his Ballon d'Or make him one of the best-known sports figures of the diaspora.
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