Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema is a French professional football player. He’s widely recognized as amongst the greatest strikers in the history and is known for his technical skills, goal-scoring ability, versatility, and vision on the field.

He rose to prominence as he became a starter in 2007-2008 season and scored more than 30 goals for Lyon, which earning him the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year and helping Lyon becoming Team of the Year.

Contents

1 Career
2 Profile
3 Height, Weight, Physical Appearance
4 Family
5 Wife, Girlfriend, & Dating History
6 Net Worth
7 Controversies
- 7.1 Investigated for His Involvement in a Prostitute Ring as a Client
8 Facts
9 Quotes
10 FAQs

Career

Coming from a humble family, Karim Benzema began his football career when he was eight years old at Bron Terraillon, a club in his hometown, Bron.

When he scored two goals in a U-10 match against Lyon Youth Academy, it makes Lyon club get interested in him.

Though at the beginning Bron Terrallion refused to sell him, but after Lyon’s official talked to his parents, he got the chance to serve as ball boy at Lyon’s senior team games and his adventure with Lyon’s youth team then began.

He began his professional senior debut at Lyon senior in 2005 when he was 17. He rose to fame as the Ligue 1 Player of the Year and after scoring 66 goals in a total of 148 appearances, in 2009 he signed a six year contract with Real Madrid.

He also awe people with his performance for the national team. He began represented Frances as the part of the U-17 in the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and helped bring the team to stardom.

He made his international senior debut representing France at the age of 19 in 2007. Ever since, he has taken part in three major international tournaments such UEFA European Football Championship 2008 and 2012 and 2014 FIFA World Club.

Profile

Real Name: Karim Mostafa Benzema
Stage Name: Karim Benzema
Also Known As: –
Nickname: Coco
Birthday: December 19, 1987
Birthplace: Lyon, France
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Nationality: French
Religion: Islam
Profession: Professional Football Player
Education: –
Hobbies: –
Position: Striker
Club:
Al-Ittihad (2023–);
Real Madrid (2009–2023);
Lyon (2004–2009);
Lyon B (2004–2006)
Facebook: –
Twitter: @Benzema
Instagram: @karimbenzema
TikTok: –
YouTube: –

Height, Weight, Physical Appearance

Height: 185 cm (6’1”)
Weight: 80 kg (176 lbs)
Blood Type: –
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Body Measurements: 41-34-15 (Bust -41, Waist -34, and Arms -15 in inches)
Shoe Size: 9.25 (US)

Family

Father: Hafid Benzema
Mother: Wahida Djebbara
Brother: Sabri, Farid
Sister: Gressy, Lydia, Laetica, Sofia, Nafissa, Celia
Children: Melia Benzema, Ibrahim Benzema, Nouri Benzema

Wife, Girlfriend, & Dating History

Rihanna

Karima Benzema and Rihanna once had a relationship in 2015.They were said to meet at a nightclub.

In June 2015, they were captured enjoying a dinner date in New York together.

The pair ended their relationship two years later in 2017. An insider told the media that the split happened because she couldn’t get over her love for Chris Brown.

Analica Chavez

Karim Benzema and pop star Analica Chavez dated after Benzema broke up with Rihanna. They frequently post their picture together.

Unfortunately, the relationship was bound to end as they went their separate ways.

Chloe de Launay

Chloe de Launay and Karim Benzema began their relationship around 2016. From his relationship, they had a daughter named Melia with her.

Cora Gauthier

Model Cora Gauther met Karim Benzema back in 2015 when they were in Dubai. After the first meet, they began dating and Gauther also moved to Madrid so she could be together with Benzema.

Their relationships were pretty much public, however they like to keep things low as well as Gauther’s personal life.

After dating for a year, the couple tied the knot in a secret marriage in December 2016. However, in 2022, rumor has it that the couple has split.

Despite the rumor, they haven’t officially announced the state of their marriage.

Jordan Ozuna

The relationship between Jordan Ozuna and Karim Benzema first surfaced to the public after the two attended the 2022 Ballon d’Or. According to some sources, they had bee dating for quite a while.

With the appearance of Benzema and his new girlfriend, comes questions about his marriage to Gauther. However, both Benzema and Gauther remained silent.

Net Worth

Karim Benzema’s net worth is around $70 million to $80 million. His main income was from his salary as a football player.

Salaries

Real Madrid

Karim Benzema signed a contract with Real Madrid in 2009 and his contract expired in 2023. From his contract, he got paid £278,000 per week and he could earn around £14.4 million per year.

Al-Ittihad

On June 2023, it was officially announced by Al-Ittihad that the club has signed Karim under their club without transfer fee.

As per media reports, he’s going to earn £172 million of gross annual salary which is about ten times of his past salary at Real Madrid.

Real Estate

He has luxury designer houses in France and Spain. The house’s estimated property value is around $2.7 million.

Cars Collection

Karim Benzema owns several luxury cars including Range Rover, Mercedes Benz, Bugatti, and Ferrari.

Controversies

Investigated for His Involvement in a Prostitute Ring as a Client

In April 2012, media reported that four members of the French national football team were being investigated for their alleged involvements in a Paris prostitute ring that operated inside a nightclub.

Later, Karim was revealed to be one of the players, along with Franck Ribéry, Sidney Govou, and Hatem Ben Arfa.

Karim was accused to have had a sexual encounters with an underage prostitute, although he refuted the accusations through his lawyer.

He was questioned by local police on July and was charged for “solicitation of a minor prostitute”.

Prosecutors required his cases, along with Ribéry’s, to be dropped on November 2011 with the claim that they weren’t aware that Zahia Dehar, the escort, was only a 16-year old girl.

That being said, the case proceeded to go on a trial. The charges against both players were dropped by the judge in early 2014 for lack of evidence that they knew the girl was underaged.

Facts

His parents were immigrants from Algeria and they lived in the Bron, eastern France, a neighborhood known for its trouble.
Karim Benzema is the sixth son out of nine children.
Grown up as a kid, he sometimes got involved in trouble and once joined gangs who led him to crime as a kid. His father takes part in stopping him from involving and disciplining him.
He went to Catholic school but having troubled interacting at first and not well received. He’s also getting bullied because of his chubby appearance.
His younger brother, Sabri and Gressy took the same path as him as the footballer.
He scored 32 goals for Lyon’s U-16 in U-16 French League.
In 2009, he soars the fame on the French record in association football when he transfers to Real Madrid for €35 million.
In May, 2017, Cora Gauthier gave birth to his son Ibrahim Home.
In 2015, he got in a scandal for blackmailing Mathieu Valbuena over a tape that featured Valbuena sleeping with his girlfriend and was found guilty in 2021.
This controversy brought him summoned by French Football Federation and got him suspended from the national team.
He went back to playing for France in Euro 2020 tournament.
For his blackmailing verdict, he was handed a one year suspended jail term and ordered to pay a €75,000 fine along with €80,000 to cover Valbuena’s legal costs and €150,000 in damages.
He apologized to his teammate Vinicius Junior, for telling his teammate not to pass the ball to Vinicius during a match against Borussia Monchengladbach.
He won French Football Player of the Year in 2011 and won twice after that.
He won the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
His favorite holiday destination is Ibiza, Spain.
His ideal type is…

Quotes

“The public digs needled me to rebel. They forced me to work harder”

“I don’t need money, and when I do a favor, I expect nothing back.”

“For the moment, I haven’t ended my career. I’m young. There are still a lot of goals.”

“I’m not going to give up. If people think I’m going to give up the French national team, they’re mistaken. I’m still here, and I’m still hungry for trophies.”

“Some people say I don’t love the French national team. If that were the case, I would have said so directly to the coach, because I’m a big boy.”

“What I would like is to at least have a discussion with the coach, that he tells me what he thinks. I have to know.”

“I have faith in the players, who have paid me back on the pitch. I have brought in young players because they have a lot of potential. I’m the only one who decides, and I take decisions based on sporting reasons.”

“Personally, what goes beyond sport, you have to put to one side. You need the best to win trophies.”

FAQs

Who is Karim Benzema?

He is a French professional football player.

Who is Karim Benzema’s real name?

His real name is Karim Mostafa Benzema.

What makes Karim Benzema famous?

He got famous as as he became a starter in 2007-2008 season and scored more than 30 goals for Lyon, which earning him the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year and helping Lyon becoming Team of the Year.

Where is Karim Benzema from?

He was born in Lyon, France.

How old is Karim Benzema?

He was born in 1987, and he is 36 years old as of 2023.

When Karim Benzema celebrates his birthday?

He celebrates on the 19th of every December.

How tall is Karim Benzema?

His height is 6’1″ or 185 cm.

Who are Karim Benzema’s parents?

His father’s name is Hafid Benzema and his mother’s name is Wahida Djebbara.

Is Karim Benzema married?

No, he is currently unmarried. But he is in a relationship with Jordan Ozuna

Who is Karim Benzema’s ex-girlfriend?

His ex-girlfriends are Rihanna, Analica Chavez, and Chloe de Launay.

Who is Karim Benzema’s ex-wife?

His ex-wife is Cora Gauther.

How rich is Karim Benzema?

His net worth is around $70 million to $80 million.

What is Karim Benzema nationality?

His nationality is French.

Karim Benzema’s road as a footballer isn’t a flowery road. He should face discrimination back at school and when he started his career, but his potential and grit brought him to stardom as a footballer.