what place for Karim Benzema in the pantheon of Real Madrid?

Real Madrid loses a legend. After fourteen seasons in the Madrid capital, Karim Benzema leaves the White House with a cabinet full of 25 trophies, including five Champions Leagues, which places him on the same level as Alfredo Di Stefano, Luka Modric or Marcelo. But stars, and Ballons d’Or, Real Madrid have seen more than any club in the world. So, in this five-star pantheon, where does Karim Benzema fit? The answer in numbers.

The most successful player in the history of the club

With 25 trophies won in fourteen seasons at Real Madrid, Karim Benzema has had time to fill a few trophy cabinets. And again: we only count the collective titles, without the many individual awards received by the Frenchman, including the Ballon d’Or 2022. With 5 Champions Leagues, 5 Club World Cups, 4 Ligas, 3 European Cups Spain, 4 Spanish Supercups and 4 European Supercups, Karim Benzema is doing as well as the Brazilian Marcelo. The two men are ahead of Paco Gento (24 titles), Luka Modric (23 titles) and Sergio Ramos (22 titles). He is also the most successful French player in history, with 32 trophies.

The fifth most capped player

Appeared 647 times in the Madrid jersey, Karim Benzema is the foreign player who has played the most under the Meringue colours. He is thus ranked fifth among the players who have worn the Real Madrid shirt the most, behind four Spaniards, club legends, namely: Raul (741 games), Iker Casillas (725 games), Manuel Sanchis (710 games) and Sergio Ramos (671 games). He is also the only foreigner in the top 10.

Real’s second all-time top scorer

In the service and in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo until 2018, Karim Benzema is logically ahead of the Portuguese alien in the ranking of the top scorers in the history of Real Madrid. With 450 goals to his credit, CR7 was difficult to catch up, even if Karim Benzema’s 353 goals in fourteen years give the Frenchman an average of 25 goals per season. Which makes him the second top scorer in club history, ahead of legends Raul (323), Alfredo Di Stefano (308) and Carlos Santillana (290). Note that 78 of his goals have been scored in the Champions League, which makes the Habs the fourth top scorer in the competition behind CR7, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski.

Real’s best passer

Karim Benzema’s years of service with CR7, however, give him another title, which says a lot about the altruism of this striker who likes to pass just as much. Indeed, the French is the best passer in the history of the club, with 149 caviars distributed, or ten per season on average. He is ahead, this time, of Cristiano Ronaldo (117), Raul (114), Marcelo (95) and Luis Figo (92).

Member of the club of 8

If Real Madrid boasts of being the biggest club in the world, it is undoubtedly in relation to its collection of Champions Leagues (15), but also because it is the club which has known the most Ballon d’Or in exercise, i.e. twelve times. With the one he received in 2022, Karim Benzema is thus one of the 8 players who obtained the supreme individual award while playing at Real Madrid. In order: Alfredo Di Stefano (1957, 1959), Raymond Kopa (1958), Luis Figo (2000), Ronaldo (2002), Fabio Cannavaro (2006), Cristiano Ronadlo (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) and Luka Modric (2018). With 11 nominations, Karim Benzema is also the Habs most often nominated for the Ballon d’Or.