Karim Mostafa Benzema is a French striker who plays for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, where he also serves as captain. He was born in Lyon to Algerian parents. His professional career began with Lyon in 2005. During his early years, he helped the club win three Ligue 1 titles. In 2008, he had a standout season, becoming the league’s top scorer and winning both Player of the Year and a fourth league title along with the Coupe de France.
In 2009, Benzema joined Real Madrid for €35 million, the highest fee ever paid for a French player then. His first season was tough, but he later became an important goal scorer. He formed the “BBC” trio with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, and they helped Real Madrid win four Champions League titles from 2014 to 2018.
Benzema took over as the primary striker following Ronaldo’s departure in 2018. He was named in the La Liga Team of the Season every year from 2018 to 2023. He won La Liga Best Player twice and claimed the Pichichi Trophy in 2022. That same year, he finished as the Champions League’s top scorer and won his fifth title. He captained Real Madrid in his final season before moving to Al-Ittihad, where he led the team to the 2024–25 Saudi Pro League title.
Karim Benzema Girlfriend: Who Is She?
Karim Benzema’s girlfriend is Lyna Khoudri. Their relationship became public for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, where Benzema and Khoudri walked the red carpet together, holding hands and appearing very affectionate.
Lyna Khoudri was born on October 3, 1992, in Algeria and moved to France as a child. She built her career in French cinema through theater training and film roles that earned major critical acclaim. Her performance in Les Bienheureux won her the Orizzonti Award for Best Actress at Venice, and she later received the César Award for Most Promising Actress. By 2025, she was a regular presence at Cannes, attending the festival for the eighth time and promoting two films.
Benzema, a father of four from previous relationships, rarely shares details of his private life, which made the Cannes appearance surprising for fans. The couple’s public debut came during the premieres of 13 Jours 13 Nuits, where Khoudri is one of the lead actresses, and their affectionate presence quickly became a major talking point at the festival.
More About Lyna Khoudri
Lyna Khoudri is an Algerian-French actress. She became well known after winning the Orizzonti Award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in 2017 for her role in The Blessed. In 2020, she received the César Award for Most Promising Actress for Papicha. She later appeared in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch in 2021, playing a student activist. In 2023, she played Constance Bonacieux in The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady.
Khoudri was born in Algiers to a journalist father and a violinist mother. When she was two, her family moved to Aubervilliers, France, after her father received death threats during the Algerian Civil War. She became a French citizen at 18. She trained professionally at the Théâtre national de la Colline in Paris. She speaks French, Arabic, and English.
Is Lyna Khoudri on Instagram?
Lyna Khoudri is active on Instagram under the username @lynakhoudri, where she has 114 posts, around 230,000 followers, and follows 40 accounts, and she lists herself as an actor represented by Agence Adéquat.
How long have Karim Benzema and Lyna Khoudri been dating?
Karim Benzema and Lyna Khoudri have been publicly dating since May 2025, when they appeared together for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival.
How many kids does Karim Benzema have?
Karim Benzema has four children. He has two children with his ex-wife, Chloe de Launay: Melia (9) and Nouri (4). He has one son with ex-girlfriend Cora Gauthier, named Ibrahim (5). He became a father for the fourth time last April, when his then-girlfriend Jordan Ozuna, a 34-year-old American model, gave birth. Benzema was seen holidaying in Mauritius in January with Chloe, the mother of his first two children.
FAQs
Q. Who is Karim Benzema’s first love?
A. Chloe De Launay is Benzema’s first love. She is also the mother of his daughters, Melia and Nuri.
Q. Is Lyna Khoudri French or Algerian?
A. Lyna Khoudri was born in Algiers, Algeria, and later moved to France.
Q. How many kids does Karim Benzema have?
A. Karim Benzema has four children: Melia and Nuri with Chloe Lany, Ibrahim with Cora Gauthier, and another son born in April 2023 with Jordan Ozuna.
Q. Is Karim Benzema a false 9?
A. Yes. Benzema has played the false 9 role, using his control and passing to drop deep and create plays.
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