There is no shortage of talented young players in world football, and there is no shortage of inspirational veterans who have become great and late.
However, there is one player whose career trajectory is so different, he is both a young football genius and a late world star.
Benzema, who debuted as a genius but professional back, is now getting closer and closer to the Golden Globes at the age of 34!
As a talented striker who came out of the former Ligue 1 overlord Lyon, Benzema even had the title of "Bai Da Luo", which can be described as a young man.
But since Real Madrid signed him in July 2009 for a transfer fee of €35 million, the talented striker has not shown his 100 percent for many years.
In the first leg of the champions league quarter-final between Real Madrid and Chelsea 3-1, Benzema can be said to have shown what is called "Benze Tyrannosaurus Rex".
Benzema scored in the 20th and 23rd minutes of the first half to break Chelsea's tenacious defence and score twice in three minutes.
At the beginning of the second half, the French striker's frontcourt in the 46th minute showed the true color of the "goalkeeper killer", which made FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year Mendy also make mistakes and successfully scored a hat-trick.
After the match, Benzema was voted the official champions of the champions league in this round of the game, and he set a number of records: 17 consecutive seasons of Champions League goals, 26 goals in the Champions League knockout rounds after Merole, 34 years and 108 days of the oldest hat-wearing player in the history of the Champions League, the second player in the history of the Champions League to score a hat-trick in two consecutive games in the knockout stage.
Ferdinand said, "When Cristiano Ronaldo was on the floor, Benzema humbly sat behind the scenes because he knew what he meant to the team. But now, he's out of the shadows. He's 34 years old and he's one of the best players in the world."
If it weren't for the public witness, it's hard to imagine that Benzema, once a green leaf wingman, would be so close to the best position in the world at the age of 34.
This season, wearing the No. 9 of the White Army, he has blasted 37 goals and 13 assists in 36 games, becoming the second real Madrid player in the 21st century to participate in 50 goals in a single season since Cristiano Ronaldo.
Benzema, who once played as a centre-forward in the BBC group but played for the two on the flanks, has now proven him to be nearly the best personal strength in the world, although this time may have come a little late.
In fact, the term late in life is not very suitable to describe Benzema, who already has a career honor that can envy many people, but in recent years, his personal performance is indeed something that fans have not seen in so many years.
Benzema has both a sharp edge as a top scorer and a full humility on the field, he combines top scoring ability, excellent no-ball strategy, excellent ball-making ability, large range of motion, and contributes to the team's defense.
Compared to Levan, who has a more sophisticated grasp of scoring opportunities in the penalty area, Benzema's technical characteristics are more comprehensive, enough to be one of the best modern centers today, or even one of them.
Compared with the success achieved at Real Madrid, Benzema has not had the opportunity to play for the national team for many years. It was not until May 2021 that his national team career finally turned around, returning to the French national team with excellent individual performances.
In the UEFA Nations League final on 11 October, France defeated Spain 2-1 to win the UEFA Nations League trophy for the first time. Benzema, the team's main striker, managed to score a world wave in this game.
The goal was voted the best goal of the tournament, and as the key figure in determining the outcome, Benzema was successfully elected the best player in the final.
In 2018, Benzema could only watch his fellow French compatriot win the World Cup and finally be able to lift the UEFA Nations League trophy as a member of the French national team.
I don't know how long I had waited for this moment, and he smiled like a child.
Since Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juve in July 2018, Benzema must and have to stand alone, and since then he has been able to show a more comprehensive and excellent level, contrary to the image of the green leaves, becoming the first thigh of the team's front line, which can be described as the older and more demon.
It seems impossible if Benzema can extend such a superb state until the World Cup, help the last champion France successfully defend the title, and win the World Cup that even Messi Cristiano Ronaldo failed to win.
This season, the 34-year-old Messi scored 8 goals and 10 assists in 27 games in Paris, while the 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo scored 32 goals, 18 goals and 3 assists at Manchester United.
When the Mero era entered the late stages, the 34-year-old Benzema blasted 36 games with 37 goals and 13 assists, and it seemed that he was about to usher in the peak of his football career.
I really didn't expect that one day Benzema would be closer to the Ballon d'Or than Messi C Ronaldo!