"Real Madrid CF and our captain Karim Benzema have reached an agreement to end his brilliant and unforgettable stage as a player of our club," Real wrote in a statement released a few hours before the last match of the season in the Spanish league against Athletic Bilbao (18:30).
Arriving in Madrid in 2009 from Lyon, Benzema leaves an indelible mark at the 35-year-old with the Madrid club, with 25 titles including five Champions League.
His last European title, in 2022, opened the doors of the Ballon d'Or, the first for a French player since Zinedine Zidane in 1998. He failed this season in the C1 semi-finals against Manchester City.
The N.9, long in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo during the Portuguese's Madrid years, took control of Real's attacking game once CR7 left in 2018. He is currently, behind his former teammate, the second highest scorer in the history of the club, with 353 goals.
"Karim Benzema's career at Real Madrid has been an example of behaviour and professionalism, he has perfectly represented the values of our club. Karim Benzema has earned the right to decide his future," Real said in a statement, hinting that Benzema himself decided not to extend his contract.
His name has been linked for several days to Saudi Arabia, which would promise him a golden bridge to end his career.
"Why should I talk about my future? I am in Madrid. Those who speak do so on the Internet, and the reality is not the Internet," Benzema said Thursday night at a ceremony in tribute to his career organized by Spanish sports daily Marca.
Only three days after this release, the future of the striker is partly decided: he will not write in Madrid.
Real announced the holding on Tuesday at 12:00 of a tribute to its player, in the presence of the president of the club Florentino Perez.
© 2023 AFP