Karim Benzema scores on debut for Al-Ittihad: Decoding his numbers
French superstar Karim Benzema made an immediate impact for his new club Al-Ittihad. The Ballon d'Or winner scored the winner on his debut against ES Tunis in the Arab Club Champions Cup. Al-Ittihad won the match 2-1 and Benzema had an influential role in it. ES Tunis scored first, while Al-Ittihad's Aderrazak Hamdallah netted the equalizer. Benzema found the winner in the 55th minute.
Why does this story matter?
Benzema is undoubtedly one of the greatest forwards of this generation, who has led the lines for Real Madrid for 14 long years. He won the Ballon d'Or last season and therefore he will look to create an impact for Al-Ittihad. By scoring in his first game, confidence is what will serve Benzema well. Benzema has raced to 421 career club goals.
Benzema is hopeful for a fruitful season at Al-Ittihad
"Little by little we will build a great team," Benzema said after the win. "The atmosphere is amazing and the fans motivated the team from the first minute until the end," he added. "We are in good shape and we will continue to work hard." Former Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has also joined Al-Ittihad. Kante came on as a substitute in this game.
Second-highest goal-scorer for Real Madrid
In his 14-year stay at Real Madrid, Benzema has featured in 648 appearances while netting 354 goals. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (450) has more goals for Los Blancos than the Frenchman. His best season for the club was in 2021-22 when he scored 44 goals. Out of 14 years, he scored over 20-plus goals in a campaign 11 times, proving his exceptional goal-scoring prowess.
Fourth-highest La Liga goal-scorer
Benzema has shown tremendous levels of consistency over the years. He has scored 238 goals in 439 La Liga appearances. The veteran is behind Lionel Messi with 474 goals in 520 La Liga matches and Ronaldo, who has netted 311 goals in 292 La Liga appearances. Athletic Club legend Telmo Zarra is third-highest with 251 goals in La Liga.
Benzema's key numbers for Real Madrid
Benzema is the second-highest scorer for Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League (78) and is placed only behind Ronaldo (105). He is the third-highest scorer in the FIFA Club World Cup with four goals. Benzema is the joint-top scorer in the UEFA Super Cup (2). He is Real's top scorer in the Copa del Rey (25) and joint-top scorer in Spanish Supercup (7).
Benzema's trophy cabinet
Benzema lifted four La Liga honors with Real, besides claiming the Copa del Rey on three counts. He won the Spanish Supercup three times and the UEFA Champions League on five occasions. He has also won four UEFA Super Cups and five Club World Cups. At Lyon, Benzema bagged four Ligue 1 honors, besides clinching one Coupe de France, and two Trophees des Champions.
Benzema won several individual accolades
Benzema bagged the Ballon d'Or last year, while also clinching the UEFA Men's Best Player of the Year. He was adjudged the La Liga Player of the Season in 2019-20 and 2021-22. In the 2021-22 season, he also bagged the Pichichi Trophy, won the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season and also scored the most goals in the Champions League.
Benzema finished his European club career with 420 goals
Benzema has scored 420 goals in total in his European club career. Benzema started his career with Lyon, scoring 66 goals in 148 games. He scored 31 goals in 2007-08 and 23 in 2008-09. He remains the fourth-highest scorer in the Champions League (90).
