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Karim Benzema

Centre-forward, former France international

Sports France Hall No. 38

Profile

Why they shine

Karim Benzema's Ballon d'Or in October 2022 was the reward for the season he stopped sharing the limelight with Cristiano Ronaldo. He scored 27 goals in the La Liga, a Champions League record of 15 including three in the final, and took Real Madrid to the title in France. His 44 goals in all competitions made him the most productive striker in Europe that year, and the trophy came at 34. He left Madrid the following summer, captained Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia and moved to Al Hilal in February 2026.

Full name: Karim Mostafa Benzema
Nationality: France
Club (2026): Free agent — released by Al Hilal in August 2026
Position: Centre-forward
Ballon d'Or: 2022 — after a 44-goal season
Champions League: Five titles, and the top scorer in 2021-22 with 15 goals

Record

Honor record

Ballon d'Or

2022 · Oct 17, 2022

Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris

His only Ballon d'Or, won ahead of Kylian Mbappé in the first edition decided by 100 national journalists. Benzema finished with 44 goals in all competitions, 27 of them in the La Liga and a Champions League record of 15, and became the first French winner since Zidane in 1998.

UEFA Champions League

2022 · May 28, 2022

Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Real Madrid's 14th European Cup, won 1-0 against Liverpool with a 59th-minute header from Vinícius Júnior. Benzema, at the centre of Madrid's attack, finished the season as the competition's leading scorer with 15 goals after a first-half hat-trick in the final. It was his fifth European title and the last he would win in Europe.

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