Now in Saudi Arabia, Karim Benzema is enjoying another aspect of his career after scoring 354 goals for Real Madrid. At 35 and now at Al-Ittihad, the French super star is now looking back fondly at his career and some past teammates.
In an interview with Canal Football Club, Benzema made reference to one of his former French national team youth teammates, Hatem Ben Arfa, who Benzema believed had the talent of Lionel Messi.
“Ben Arfa is someone with enormous talent, at the level of Messi, no kidding”, is what Benzema stated in that interview, so what became of the life of Hatem Ben Arfa?
Who is Hatem Ben Arfa?
Hatem Ben Arfa was a winger attacking midfielder that played for a number of clubs during his career, never reaching his full potential in any of them. Ben Arfa played for Lyon, Marseille, PSG, and Newcastle United among others.
Hatem Ben Arfa (Getty Images)
In 2022 he played all of 7 games for Lille. The main issue with Ben Arfa was his inconsistency at the highest level, nonetheless the Clamart, France native played 15 times and scored 2 goals for France.
Kelvin Loyola is a seasoned content writer and journalist at Bolavip, boasting over 15 years of experience in sports journalism and marketing. He has covered a wide array of sports including the USMNT, MLS, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and Liga MX, as well as the NBA, MLB, NHL, and various entertainment topics. Prior to his journalism and marketing career, Kelvin worked in post-production, contributing to numerous movie, television, and digital projects. He also brings expertise in project management, social media, and web development. A graduate of Queens College with a degree in Media Studies, Kelvin is bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish. His passions extend beyond his career to include soccer, marketing, photography, surfing, and pop culture, particularly comics.
