French international striker Karim Benzema has aged like a fine wine; the older he’s got, the better in front of goal he has become.
Now aged 35, the Lyon-born Real Madrid striker is in his fourteenth year in Madrid, and thanks to his genuinely excellent performances over the past few seasons, he won the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
At times a controversial figure, Benzema has matured over recent seasons and is now considered one of the greatest strikers in Real Madrid’s history. With 227 goals in 424 league appearances, he is the undisputed number-one striker at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Today, we’re going to look at Karim Benzema’s family life to see what makes the French star tick.
A Frenchman by birth, Benzema’s roots are in Algeria, and with a large family supporting him, it’s clear that having such an extensive support network around him has allowed the fiery striker to remain grounded despite his global stardom.
Karim Benzema’s Parents
- Father: Hafid Benzema
- Mother: Wahida Djebbara
The Benzema family’s journey to France first began in 1950, when Da Lakehal Benzema, Karim’s grandfather, migrated from Algeria to France. Benzema’s father was also born in Algeria before moving to Lyon as a youngster, and it’s here that he met and married Wahida Djebbara, a native of Lyon.
Soon after being married, the Benzema’s first child was born, followed by another eight children, with Karim being the third youngest of the nine siblings. Karim Benzema’s family remained in Lyon, and it was there that his parents enrolled Karim at the local youth soccer club AS Des Buers Villeurbanne.
Word soon spread that Benzema had an eye for goal, and it didn’t take long for the largest club in the area, Ligue 1 club Lyon, to snap up the promising striker.
Benzema had the good fortune to play close to home throughout his youth career, with his family supporting him as he developed as a player.
Moving to France from Algeria certainly helped the Benzema family, and it was for France that their son decided to ally himself, making his debut for France at only 19.
Now sitting on 97 caps for his country, Benzema has scored 37 times in international matches, though his decision to retire in 2022 means he’s unlikely to play for France again in the future.
Siblings, Lots Of Siblings
The Benzema family is undoubtedly more extensive than usual, with Hafid and Wahida Benzema having a total of nine children.
Karim is the third youngest of the brood and has three brothers and five sisters who regularly cheer him on for club and country.
- Sister: Nafissa Benzema
- Sister: Laeticia Benzema
- Sister: Lydia Benzema
- Sister: Sofia Benzema
- Sister: Celia Benzema
- Brother: Gressy Benzema
- Brother: Sabri Benzema
- Brother: Farid Benzema
While most of the Benzema family prefer to avoid the limelight, two of his brothers, Gressy and Sabri, both played soccer for a while. Gressy was forced to retire due to injury in 2012 and has since become a part of his brother’s management team.
Sabri, another of Karim Benzema’s brothers, also played semi-professionally, and it’s understood that he had many of the same playing characteristics as his famous brother. Despite having talent, Sabri also moved away from playing soccer professionally and prefers to remain out of the limelight.
Benzema’s Relationships
- Ex-Wife: Cora Gauthier
- Current Partner: Jordan Ozuna
Karim Benzema has had several serious relationships over the years, though he is very protective of his private life, so little is known of them.
Benzema was married to Cora Gauthier, a fashion blogger, and model with whom he has a son, from 2017 until recently. He and Cora were rarely seen in photos together and preferred to keep their private life away from the camera.
Cora is well-known for her modeling career and excellent business sense and seems to take fame in her stride. Working between London and Madrid is ideal, due to Karim playing for Real
Madrid, though because Benzema finds being in the public eye tedious, there have been very few times he and Cora were photographed together.
As well as being a successful model, Cora Gauthier is also a well-known Instagram influencer. She met her future husband while in Dubai, and the two quickly became an item. After tying the knot in 2017, the couple had their first child together, a son named Ibrahim.
Reports suggest that Karim Benzema and Cora Gauthier split up sometime in 2022, and the French international has since been seen with his new partner, American model Jordan Ozuna. Ozuna is a former Hooters waitress who, since turning to modeling, has seen her profile rise exponentially.
Since meeting Benzema, the couple has grown much closer and shared several pictures of themselves online. Jordan Ozuna recently announced that she is expecting her first child with Benzema, which will be the Real Madrid striker’s third child.
Karim Benzema’s Children
- Daughter: Melia Benzema (born 2014)
- Son: Ibrahim Benzema (born 2017)
- Current partner Jordan Ozuna is also expecting Benzema’s third child in 2023
Karim Benzema currently has two children from two different relationships, with his third child on the way in 2023.
His eldest child, his daughter Melia, was born in 2014; her mother, Chloe de Launay, met Benzema in 2009. The couple had their daughter together but soon split due to accusations that Karim Benzema had been unfaithful.
Karim Benzema’s son, Ibrahim, is from his most recent marriage to Cora Gauthier, a French model, and Instagram influencer. Ibrahim Benzema was born in May 2017 and is the French international’s youngest child.
It seems that Benzema and Gauthier’s relationship ended in 2022, and the Madrid striker has since been seen with his new partner Jordan Ozuna.
Ozuna is currently expecting her first child with Benzema, which will be the Frenchman’s third child. A private person, and one who rarely discloses much about his personal life online, Karim Benzema hasn’t announced either the due date for his child or the potential sex of the baby.
Benzema does share quite a few pictures online of himself with his children, possibly due to him growing up in such a large family. He loves spending time with his kids whenever possible.
Despite a busy schedule with Real Madrid during the season, he always makes time for both his son and daughter and looks to have built a loving and lasting relationship with both.
