UPDATE 6/6: Benzema has left Real Madrid as a free agent and signed with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad for a compensation package reportedly worth approximately €200 per year, inclusive of on-field salary and marketing add-ons.
Despite not being able to compete at the World Cup due to injury, Karim Benzema still remains one of the highest-paid players in the world. Boardroom breaks down the details of his contract.
By Ballon d’Or standards, Karim Benzema is the reigning best player in all of soccer. By his body of work, he’s one of the best strikers in soccer history.
The Frenchman was sent home on the eve of the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to a thigh injury that forced him out of competition. In his absence, Les Bleus were able to take Argentina down to the wire resulting in a penalty shootout, which many consider the best World Cup final history.
Since then, Benzema has retired from international competition on his 35th birthday. Reports indicated that the move came from the striker recovering from injury quickly but never being offered a route back into the team due to friction with French manager Didier Deschamps. After unfollowing all but five teammates on the French squad, Benzema’s World Cup campaign ended in disappointment. However, he’ll still have plenty of opportunity to build on his legacy at Real Madrid.
Even at 35, Benzema remains Los Blanco’s centerpiece of attack and their third highest-paid player at the club. Like teammate Luka Modric, another elder statesman at the club, the French striker’s contract is set to expire on June 30, 2023. Unsure of his future with the club, Benzema has expressed a desire to work with young players and to see out the rest of his career at the Santiago Bernabeu. With the ultimate decision of staying at Madrid out of his hands, the striker could face his final playing days at another club without electing an inevitable retirement.
With that in mind, let’s examine Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema salary and contract attributes as the all-time striker chases one last deal from the Galacticos, retirement, or a cash-grabbing possibility to end his outstanding career in a new location.
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Karim Benzema Contract Details & Wages
All financial figures via Capology.
Years: 1
Total value: $25,190,000
Salary per year: $25,194,504
Weekly wages: $484,510
Free agency: 2023
Benzema Salary Notes
- Benzema has earned an approximate gross total of $150,761,842.49 in his playing career.
- Benzema is the third highest-paid player at Real Madrid.
- Benzema’s 2022-23 salary accounts for 8.25% of Los Blanco’s payroll.
Karim Benzema Transfer History
Jul. 2009: Lyon (France – Ligue 1) to Real Madrid (Spain – La Liga)
- Transfer Fee: $36,210,000
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