‘Impressive’: Karim Benzema praises Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris and shares love of gaming

PARIS: From spending hours playing EA Sports FC — formerly known as the FIFA video game series — with his brother and friends, to appearing on the cover of the game itself, Karim Benzema’s connection to football gaming has grown alongside his career on the pitch.

At the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, that connection got stronger when the Al-Hilal striker and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner visited Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for his first esports event.

“I was surprised by the scale of the event,” Benzema said. “It was my first time here and I wasn’t expecting anything quite like this.” He was equally impressed by the atmosphere and what he saw behind the scenes: “The noise, the atmosphere and the people all stood out. The players are incredibly focused. They have dedicated press, rest, concentration and training areas. The entire set-up is extremely impressive.”

On July 26, ahead of the EA FC Pro World Championship final at EWC 2026, he teamed up with former world champion and EA Sports FC content creator Bruce Grannec for a special EA Sports FC 26 Showmatch. Representing Team Benzema against Team Amine — featuring French creator Amine and gaming creator Brak — they claimed a 4-0 victory,  bringing together elite football, competitive gaming and creator culture together on the EWC stage.

For Benzema, the experience also revived memories of the years he spent playing EA FC during his time away from the pitch. During the earlier stages of his career, he developed a reputation as a strong player and devoted much of his free time to the game.

“I was quite good at the time. It wasn’t a rumor,” Benzema said. “I spent many hours playing with my brother and friends. I was really into it.”

Real Madrid naturally became his preferred team during his 14-season spell with the Spanish club, although he also remembered occasionally choosing Inter Milan earlier in his life.

“Real Madrid, of course,” he said. “I also played with Inter Milan occasionally, many years ago, but I mainly chose Real Madrid. The ratings reflect a player’s performances on the pitch, but they were never my main consideration. I chose Real Madrid because I played there and it is my club. I then tried to recreate in the game what I did on a real football pitch.”

That approach mirrored how Benzema viewed football beyond gaming. Authenticity mattered more than statistics, and he said that he always tried to make his virtual performances resemble his real-life style.

Gaming also remained part of dressing-room culture throughout his career, although he said players now spent slightly less time on it than they once did. Many, however, still regularly play online.

His EWC experience continued beyond the showmatch, with Benzema saying that he would watch the FC Pro World Championship final “with pleasure.”

Running from July 6 to Aug. 23, the Esports World Cup brings together more than 2,000 players and in excess of 200 clubs from more than 100 countries, competing across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a record $75 million prize pool.