Karim Benzema, the 20-year-old Lyon striker, first tasted success at international level when he was part of the French side that lifted the UEFA Under-17 championship trophy on home soil in 2004.

Four years on and his meteoric rise has seen him top the goalscoring charts in Ligue 1 with 20 goals and gain him the title of French Players' Player of the Year as Lyon stormed to a domestic double.

Add to this some impressive displays in the Champions League, including two goals against Rangers at Ibrox and one against eventual winners Manchester United in the first knockout round.

'Genuinely two-footed and is capable of scoring from all angles, from long distance or inside the six-yard box'


Tall, strong and mobile; Benzema is every inch the modern striker. Equally effective playing off the last defender’s shoulder or coming deep to receive the ball and running at the opposition, making plans to nullify him must be a manager’s nightmare.

Genuinely two-footed he is capable of scoring from all angles, from long distance or inside the six-yard box. Also deadly from free kicks, though he does not get many opportunities for Lyon with Juninho in the side! It’s not all about goals, though, as Benzema also possesses an impressive array of tricks, flicks and deft touches to bring his team-mates into play.

Benzema may be at the beginning of his international career with Les Bleus but with established strikers Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet and Nicolas Anelka either out of form or out of favour, the apprentice could become the sorcerer and weave his magic at this tournament and for many years to come.