Karim Benzema’s top moments at Real Madrid: Ballon d’Or win, 2011 El Clasico goal, hat-trick vs PSG and more

From a Ballon d’Or triumph and a manic El Clasico goal in 2011, here is a look at Karim Benzema’s top five moments across 14 years with Real Madrid.

Karim Benzema will draw curtains on his career at Real Madrid, finishing as its second-highest goal-scorer with 353 goals. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid in June after spending 14 years of his club career with the Spanish giant.

The 35-year-old Frenchman has won 25 titles as a Real Madrid striker, including five UEFA Champions League titles and four LaLiga titles.

Here’s a look at Benzema’s top five moments with the Los Blancos:

A winner in the end 

During the 2021-22 Champions League face-off against Chelsea, 90 minutes concluded and the score was 4-4. Either team needed to score the decider to make it to the semifinal and Benzema rose up to the challenge. His header found the net during extra-time and secured Real Madrid a thrilling 5-4 win.

Benzema’s flipped the scales in a humdinger to propel Real Madrid into the semifinals over Chelseas in the 2021-22 Champions League. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Ballon d’Or win

Benzema was awarded the Ballon d’Or award in 2022. He won by the biggest margin as he beat Liverpool’s Sadio Mane by 356 points. The Frenchman scored 30 goals across all tournaments.

A much-needed hat-trick

Facing Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the last-16 tie of the 2021-22 Champions League season, the Los Blancos were falling behind PSG after conceding two goals. It was into the second half when Benzema fired his first goal and followed with two more to ensure Real Madrid walked away with an emphatic win. 

Benzema brought his best against a stacked Paris-Saint Germain side, scoring a stellar second-half hat-trick to dump it out of the tournament in the Round of 16 stage. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Among Real Madrid’s top scorers

With 353 goals, Benzema surpassed Raul Gonzalez to seat himself among the top goal scorers for Real Madrid. He is in second place just below Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 450 goals in his 10 years at the club. Benzema went past Raul on May 13, 2022 with a close-range header against Levante in a LaLiga game.

A Clasico goal record

Benzema needed only 25 seconds to score against Barcelona in the famous El Clasico meetup in 2011. He made his way into the record books for the fastest El Clasico goal in the 21st century. His goal was, however, not enough as Barcelona won the game 3-1.