📖 Karim Benzema Biography
Karim Benzema is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation and one of the best players in the history of Real Madrid. Benzema began his professional career with his hometown club, Olympique Lyonnais, in 2005, where he won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles. In 2009, he moved to Real Madrid in a transfer worth €35 million. During his 14-year tenure at Real Madrid, he won 25 trophies, including five UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga titles. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Real Madrid's history and their all-time top assist provider. In 2022, Benzema won the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first French player to win the award since Zinedine Zidane in 1998. He also won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award in the same year. Internationally, he represented the France national team from 2007 to 2022, earning 97 caps and scoring 37 goals. He was a key member of the squad that won the 2021 UEFA Nations League. Despite a period of exile from the national team between 2015 and 2021, he returned to lead the attack at Euro 2020 and the 2022 UEFA Nations League. In 2023, he departed European football to join the Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad. His playing style is characterized by his technical ability, vision, and clinical finishing.
