In world football, to become a top superstar and win the honor of a Grand Slam, you need not only personal talent and hard work, but also good fortune. When you are buried, more people choose to give up, but opportunities tend to favor those who are always ready to meet the challenge. Today we will talk about the story of the French national script.
From goalkeeper to striker, Benzema has become the pride of Lyon
Benzema was introduced to football at the age of seven, first playing as goalkeeper but soon switched to striker. Benzema scored twice as a junior player and was selected by Lyon scouts for the Lyon academy. He has become the pride of Lyon.
At the age of 17, Benzema won Ligue 1 with the team, and the following year he scored six goals in 21 appearances the season. In the following two seasons, Benzema led the team to win the Ligue 1 championship, scoring 20+ goals in a row, and the assist statistics were double-doubled. In Lyon's farewell season, Benzema made 52 appearances in all competitions and scored 31 goals, achieving Lyon's "seven crowns".
Entering Real Madrid, he became a neglected superstar
In the 2008-09 season, Benzema landed at the Bernabeu and received a six-year contract. But in his initial season, Benzema was first suppressed by Argentine superstar Gonzalo Higuain, who scored just nine goals and four assists in his debut season at the Bernabeu. After Ronaldo's arrival, Benzema could only be Ronaldo's "wingman". Although Benzema wore the No. 9 shirt that represents the absolute main force in Real Madrid, he has never been able to become the team's first firepower. But even in the case of limited opening "** rights", Benzema still played 20+ in a row, and the assist data was double-doubled. It wasn't until Ronaldo and Bale gradually faded out of Real Madrid's lineup that the French superstar could be regarded as a "daughter-in-law who has been a wife for many years", and at an age when he was already past his age, he won the Champions League trophy as the core of the team and the captain on the field, and he himself won the late Ballon d'Or trophy.
In the national team, Benzema failed to cash in on his talent
Although he was noticed by France soon after his debut, he was known as the "French Golden Boy" and one of the "Four Little Swans" in Ligue 1, although Benzema has won many awards for French Footballer of the Year and France's Best Overseas Player. But in the national team, Benzema has not been able to fully realize his talent. In 2010, Benzema, who won the European Youth Championship with the Under-17 national team, was included in the French squad for the World Cup in South Africa, and in 2012 he reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship with the team and in 2014. However, after 2014, Benzema was absent from the French national team squad for a long time, and in 2021, Benzema played in the UEFA Nations League with the French team, scoring in the final to help the team reverse the Spanish team to win the championship, but this also became the final curtain call of the French footballer at the national team level. In the Qatari winter of 2022, when the Gallic chariot was overturned by the Pampas Eagles in the penalty shootout, I wonder if Deschamps will remember the veteran who helped the French team win the championship in the UEFA Nations League final. If it wasn't Muniah but Benzema who scored in extra time, maybe the history of French football, the history of Argentine football, and even the history of the World Cup would have to be rewritten.
Not everyone who works hard can get a happy ending. Benzema, who has been full of club and personal honors, did not reach the World Cup podium with his French teammates, which cannot but be said to be a huge regret.