Karim Benzema is the current number 11 for Real Madrid Football Club. For a man just in his twenties, this is a fantastic achievement.
Born on 19th December 1987, in Lyon, France, Benzema rose to prominence playing for the French club of Lyon where he debuted in January 2005. During the next five seasons, Benzema played 149 times for Lyon scoring 66 goals. 2007-8 and 2008-9 were the years where he showed his potential by scoring 54 goals in 99 games.
His honors include four League 1 medals and it was also during this time that he debuted for the French National football team on 28 March 2007 against Austria where he scored to win the game. Since then he has represented his country 27 times and has scored 8 goals.
It was these performances that caught the eye of Real Madrid who, in the mid-season break in 2009, added him to their already impressive arsenal of talent. Since then he has made 14 appearances for the Spanish giants and has scored four times.
Benzema promises to make quite a big impact for France in the upcoming 2010 football World Cup being held in South African and he is well worth keeping an eye on. Karim Benzema is considered one of the best footballers in the world football in recent times.