Sports Nicknames - Coco, Benzegoal

Karim Benzema is one of the most successful French strikers of all time, having led the line for both Real Madrid and France. He has helped Real Madrid win 13 trophies, including 4 UEFA Champions League trophies. While his childhood name was "Coco" in France, he has since picked up the nickname "Benzegoal" thanks to his goal-scoring exploits.



Benzema started his career with the youth ranks of Olympique Lyonnais, breaking through to the first team in 2005. However, he wouldn't become a regular starter until the 2006-07 season, although he helped Lynon continue their title winning trend. In his last 2 years at the club, Benzema transformed into a talismanic striker who won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2008. Such performances earned him a move to Real Madrid.

Benzema might've been in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo at Madrid, but it was hard not to be at the end of the 2000s. It is at Madrid that Benzema has peaked. He has led the line for a decade, forming relationships with Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and more. Even now that Ronaldo is at Juventus, Benzema continues to play as their main striker.

While Benzema played for France over 80 times, he has not been picked for the French national team since 2015 after being involved in a blackmail scandal of Mathieu Valbuena. Before that, he had been fighting with Olivier Giroud for the starting striker position.

Benzema is Real Madrid's 5th highest scoring player and their all-time leading assist provider. While he might not be the icon for Real that he was for Lyon, he has still led the line for the club through one of its most successful stints in history.

--

Click for more Sports Nicknames