Karim Benzema is arguably the best player in the world right now. The Frenchman has been underrated for the majority of his career, and is now starting to make the headlines every week. Here are five records that the striker holds as of right now.
Top 5 Karim Benzema records you didn’t know about:
5. Only player with a UCL hat-trick against Chelsea
Following Real Madrid’s thrashing of the defending European champions at Stamford Bridge, Karim Benzema became the first player in the UCL to score against the two-time winners.Â
4. Scoring in most consecutive UCL seasons
Karim Benzema, currently 34 years old, is displaying extraordinary performance and is at the peak of his abilities. He has achieved a remarkable feat by scoring in 17 consecutive seasons, a record he shares with Lionel Messi.
3. Most goals by a Frenchman in single UCL season
This year, the Real Madrid number 9 has 11 goals from 8 games, which is his best ever return. Moreover, it is also the highest number achieved by a Frenchman in a single season of the Champions League.
2. Oldest player to score UCL hat-trick
Benzema broke his own record, which he achieved in the Round of 16 against PSG, to become the oldest hat-trick scorer in the Champions League. He was 34 years and 108 days when he scored three against Chelsea, 28 days after the game against PSG.
1. Most goals by a Frenchman in football
Thierry Henry, a legendary footballer, achieved an impressive career record of 411 goals. However, Karim Benzema has already surpassed him with 418 goals and is continuously performing at a high level. It is highly likely that Benzema’s goal tally will continue to rise even further by the time he retires.