The prolific striker, Karim Benzema grew up in an eastern suburb of Lyon with his eight siblings. As the third youngest in the family, the French footballer has made his not-so-large family of 11 proud by playing in the La Liga club Real Madrid and the France national team.
Benzema has three brothers among which two are footballers and five sisters. His brothers include Gressy, Sabri, and Farid while Nafissa, Laeticia, Lydia, Sodia, and Celia are his sisters. Gressy and Sabri are also footballers.
Karim Benzema and His Siblings are of Algerian Origin
The footballer and all his siblings were reportedly born in the city of Lyon which is predominately occupied by French nationals of Algerian descent. Benzema’s grandfather Da Lakehal Benzema lived in a village called Tigzirt in Aït Djellil in Algeria before he later migrated to Lyon in the 1950s.
Their father, Hafid was born in Algeria while their mother, Wahida Djebbara, was born in Lyon but her family originated from Oran.
Two of Karim Benzema’s Siblings Used to Play Football
While growing up, the striker began his journeying football alongside two of his siblings, Gressy and Sabri. However, only Benzema made it to the professional level Gressy, 33, only played in the lower divisions of France during his amateur years.
He played for Vaulx-en-Velin in the french sixth tier. Sadly, he retired in 2012 due to multiple injuries and health complications.
Sabri, on the other hand almost scaled through the amateur level, he was a member of the Bron Youth program. But he also quit playing even before he became a professional. Sabri’s playing style has been compared to that of his brother Karim.
Also, Sabri, who also played as a striker was scouted by both Real Madrid and Olympique Lyon. Karim seems to be fond of his brother because reports suggest he once stated that Sabri would have been a better player than he is.
Unlike his brothers, Farid chose a different career path other than football.
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Other Interesting Facts about the Benzema Siblings
1. The siblings allegedly grew up in a toxic environment
According to reports, the siblings were raised by their parents in a neighborhood that was widely known for crime and criminal activities.
Amidst that, the Benzema siblings were taught their religious principles, and little wonder Karim is a firm practicing Muslim who strongly believes his faith has helped him remain focused.
2. Karim Benzema’s sisters are living their lives privately
Aside from their names, Kaim’s sisters seem to be off the radar. Unlike his brothers who are known on social media, his sisters are not. It is not unknown if they are also athletes or not.
Nevertheless, Nafissa seems to be the closest to him. He often shares photos of her on social media.
3. Karim Benzema is the most famous of them all
The 37-year-old striker is not just famous, has his hard work to show for it. at the moment, he is the second-highest all-time top goalscorer and all-time top assist provider in Real Madrid.
Throughout his contract duration with the La Liga club, he has won 22 trophies and has won several other awards including being named French Player of the Year four times and also the Champions League top scorer in the 2021-22 season.
Also in the history of El Clasico history, he is the fastest-ever to score a goal in just 22 seconds in a la Liga match between Real Marid and Barcelona.
As it is, he is currently the fourth in all-time standings in Champions League history and the third the active goal scorer after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
4. Karim has had his share of controversies and legal issues and his family has supported him through all
Based on reports, the football caught the attention of the public due to his reluctance to recite the French national anthem before each match with the national team. This was allegedly observed after the footballer revealed his possible selection for the Algerian team in 2006.
Aside from what happens on the pitch, Karim was gain involved in a controversy in 2010 after a report sprung up that four members of the french national team were being investigated for hosting prostitutes in a Paris nightclub and some of the women were said to be underage. Benzema was questioned by the police but he denied his involvement.
At that time the player was reportedly dating a girl named Zahia Dehar who was 16 but lied about her age. However, the case was later dropped because it lacked substantial evidence.
5. Are all Karim Benzema’s siblings rich?
Being the only person that is well known in his family, Karim also makes more money than any other person in the house. According to speculations, he earns about $8 million salary with a net worth of over $70 million.
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