When Karim Benzema arrived at Real Madrid from Lyon in the summer of 2009, few could have imagined just how successful he’d be or how he’d become an era-defining player.
More than 11 years have now passed since that transfer. Benzema has often read rumours of transfers away from the club, but he is still there leading Los Blancos’ attack.
In fact, since the Frenchman arrived at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, nobody has played more matches for Real Madrid than he has.
Since his debut against Deportivo on August 29, 2009, he has played in 533 official fixtures. That’s more than Sergio Ramos (491) or Marcelo (444) have played in that time.
Behind these numbers is a player who hasn’t been seriously impacted by injuries and who has looked after himself so well. His longest periods out with physical issues were 39 days in 2015 and 29 days in 2017.
With 261 goals, Benzema has also been productive during his time at Real Madrid. Continue reading