Benzema and Putellas win UEFA player of the year prizes

Istanbul (AFP) – Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas were rewarded for outstanding seasons by winning the UEFA men's and women's player of the year prizes at a ceremony in Istanbul on Thursday. France striker Benzema captained Real Madrid to victory over Liverpool in the Champions League final and scored 15 goals in the competition, while […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Karim Benzema converted an early penalty and Marco Asensio added a second-half insurance goal as Real Madrid beat Juventus 2-0 in a pre-season friendly at California's Rose Bowl on Saturday. With his eye on Real Madrid's European Super Cup clash with Eintracht Frankfurt in 10 days, coach Carlo Ancelotti started the […]

Paris (AFP) – Ex-France midfielder Mathieu Valbuena said on Tuesday he has "turned the page" after the sex tape scandal involving former team-mate Karim Benzema. On Saturday, Real Madrid's Benzema, 34, dropped an appeal against a one-year suspended sentence, handed to him last November, for complicity in a bid to blackmail Valbuena with the video […]

Paris (AFP) – Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has dropped an appeal against a one-year suspended sentence for complicity in a bid to blackmail former France teammate Mathieu Valbuena with a sex tape, his lawyer said Saturday. Benzema was sentenced in November 2021 and fined 75,000 euros ($82,000) over the 2015 extortion attempt that shocked French […]

Saint-Denis (France) (AFP) – Karim Benzema admitted he had done all he could with Real Madrid this season to make himself favourite for the Ballon d'Or after helping the Spanish giants beat Liverpool 1-0 in Saturday's Champions League final in Paris. Benzema did not score in the final at the Stade de France as Vinicius […]

Madrid (AFP) – Karim Benzema drew level with Real Madrid great Raul as the Spanish giants' second-highest goalscorer by netting his 323rd goal for the club in a 6-0 thrashing of Levante on Thursday. The France striker headed in Real's second goal against Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu to reach the mark. Cristiano Ronaldo remains […]

Madrid (AFP) – Karim Benzema missed two penalties in seven minutes on Wednesday but Real Madrid still had enough to defeat Osasuna 3-1 as they continued their march towards the La Liga title. Benzema was looking for his 45th goal of the season but was twice denied by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera, who both times […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid might want both Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland this summer but Karim Benzema's latest Champions League hat-trick shows they already have the world's deadliest number nine. There is an even an argument to say Benzema is the finest player in the world full-stop right now, after he upstaged Mbappe in […]

London (AFP) – Carlo Ancelotti hailed Karim Benzema's "fantastic" hat-trick as he fired Real Madrid to a 3-1 win against Chelsea that put the Champions League holders on the brink of elimination after Wednesday's quarter-final first leg. Benzema produced a masterclass at Stamford Bridge as the France striker netted twice in the first half with […]

London (AFP) – Karim Benzema's hat-trick fired Real Madrid to a stunning 3-1 win against Chelsea that put the Champions League holders on the brink of elimination after a dramatic quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Benzema produced a masterclass at Stamford Bridge as the France striker netted twice in the first half with two perfectly-taken […]