Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid after 14 years at Bernabeu

He has won five Champions League with the Spanish giants

After 14 trophy-filled years with Real Madrid, the club announced on Sunday that Ballon d'Or laureate Karim Benzema will depart as a free agent in the future.

Karim Benzema won 25 trophies throughout his 14 seasons at Real Madrid, which set a club milestone. These included five Champions League championships, five Club World Cups, four Super Cups, four LaLiga championships, three Copas del Rey, and four Spanish Super Cup victories.

At the age of 21, Karim Benzema moved from the French club Lyon, where he was beginning his playing career in football, to Real Madrid.

Since then, Karim Benzema has played for Real in 647 games (across all competitions), appearing in 353 of them and scoring 353 goals. He ranks second all-time for Real Madrid in both LaLiga and the Champions League in terms of goals scored.

Karim Benzema is also the fourth-highest goalscorer in the annals of the Champions League and the domestic league, respectively.

The French striker is the present winner of both the Ballon d'Or and the UEFA Player of the Year awards; he took home the former with an astounding 549 votes, following an eventful 2021-22 campaign with Real Madrid.

For the prized honour, he prevailed against Kevin de Bruyne and Sadio Mane. Additionally, Karim Benzema won the Pichichi Trophy in 2022 and was a member of the FIFA FIFPRO Eleven.

"Karim Benzema's career at Real Madrid has been an example of behaviour and professionalism and has represented the values ​​of our club. Karim Benzema has earned the right to decide his future," the club confirmed.

An “institutional act of tribute and farewell to Karim Benzema” will take place at Real Madrid City, with the presence of the club's president Florentino Pérez.

“Madridistas and all the fans around the world have enjoyed his magical and unique football, which has made him one of the great myths of our club and one of the great legends of world football.”