The announcement regarding Benzema comes days after Real Madrid said that the 35-year-old was leaving the club after 14 seasons, having joined the Spanish giants in 2009 from Ligue 1 side Lyon.

 

He made 648 appearances for Madrid and is second on Real's all-time goalscoring list with 354 - only Cristiano Ronaldo has more.

He has lifted five UEFA Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey with Madrid.

 

But after a stellar 2021-22 season when he led Real to Champions League glory and was rewarded with the Ballon d'Or, he was troubled by injuries in the just-completed season and had to miss France's FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign with a thigh problem.