Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema is one of the most prolific strikers in world football right now. Playing for Spanish giants Real Madrid, the Frenchman has truly cemented his role as one of the most crucial players for Los Merengues and has emerged as a key superstar for La Liga as well.

Starting off his career with one of the biggest French clubs in Lyon, chances were sparse for the striker. With the team already stacked with talent, Benzema rarely got a chance. But eventually the Frenchman found his way into the XI.

Playing a total of six seasons with Lyon and making 148 appearances, Benzema scored 66 goals. Given his incredible form, Real Madrid swept in for the French forward and the 33-year-old hasn’t looked back since.

Karim Benzema’s Net Worth and Salary

According to The Richest, Benzema reportedly earns around €8.5 million per year. With a weekly wage of reportedly €180,000 per month, the French marksman certainly is in a team friendly deal.

Despite being one of the most important contributors to the team, Benzema's reasonable wages has helped the club accommodate superstar talents like David Alaba and Eden Hazard.

The Frenchman now has even extended his contract to 2023. Given how important he is, expect the striker to earn a fortune by the end of his stint with Real.

On-pitch Achievements

The Frenchman's start in a stacked Lyon side was surely full of hardships. Struggling to break it into the starting line-up, Benzema's future seemed a bit uncertain. But eventually the French giants recognized how talented Benzema was.

The striker slowly but steadily started to produce the goods as he chipped in with 95 goal contributions in 140 games. Real Madrid certainly took notice of Benz' talents. Buying him for €35 million, Real hoped that the Frenchman can become a mainstay at the striker position.

The now 33-year-old certainly stepped up and repaid the coaches' trust as he shared the forward duties with Gonzalo Higuain. But Benzema's role changed with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese winger who usually used to cut in and score goals became the main offensive weapon for Real.

This meant that the likes of Higuain and Benzema needed to adjust accordingly. While Ronaldo's numbers increased rapidly, the Frenchman's numbers took a dip as he was more involved in build-up play. Setting up CR7 and Gareth Bale, Benzema often went under the radar.

His lack of goals also drew a lot of criticisms and many doubted whether he was fit to be the striker for Real Madrid. Even his international career was in jeopardy as he fell out of favor under manager Didier Deschamps.

But the Frenchman certainly took note of all this and once Ronaldo made his move to Juventus, Benzema showed why Real Madrid signed him in the first place. In a rather disappointing 2018-19 season, Benzema shined the brightest as he led Los Merengues in terms of scoring.

The 33-year-old topped his 2018-19 season, with an incredible 2019-20 season as he led Real to a La Liga championship and only trailed Lionel Messi for the Pichichi trophy. His incredible form in the last three seasons certainly paid off as he was recalled to the French team for the 2020 Euros.

While the world champions crashed out, Benzema impressed as he chipped in with 4 goals. Given that Real still haven't made any attacking additions to the team, Los Merengues will hope that Benzema can continue to be the go-to goal scorer he has been.

Karim Benzema’s Endorsements

Karim Benzema is perhaps one of the biggest superstars in Real Madrid and in La Liga as well. Given the immense popularity of the Frenchman, the 33-year-old has some big brand endorsements.

Perhaps the biggest of them all is Adidas. Benzema has been donning the Adidas stripes for over a decade now. Another big brand deal that the Frenchman has is that of Hyundai.

Some other brands that the 33-year-old striker endorses are EA Sports, Bwin and French companies like LCL (Le Crédit Lyonnais) and SFR (Société française du radiotéléphone).

Foundations and Charity Work

Karim Benzema certainly is one of the biggest names in Madrid and is one of the most active players off the pitch as well. While he has had multiple donations, his biggest charity work is with the CharityStars.

A venture that allows the players to sell their own memorabilia, the auctioned money then is used for charitable causes. Some of the most iconic Real Madrid jerseys have also featured in the side showing how committed the Frenchman is to give back to the community.