A cute Christmas gift with time. We knew the football player, a collector of (fine) goals and numerous trophies, we also knew his passion for cars and big cars that he owns by the dozen, but Karim Benzema is also a lover of works of art.
He revealed this facet by publishing, this Sunday, on his Instagram account, followed by 75 million fans, a photo where he poses, seated, with a painting signed by the Spanish master Pablo Picasso. An enigmatic message: “Welcome home” accompanies the publication from the 37-year-old man.
This painting is part of the “face” series. According to the specialized site Barnie’s Art Invest, a signed work by Picasso “starts at around 150 euros for certain engravings or small sculptures, 250 euros for a small autographed drawing, 1,000 euros for a ceramic and more than 700,000 euros for a painting. These prices then gradually climb to several million euros.”
His partner, actress Lyna Khoudri, commented on the publication of two emoticons (an hourglass and a pair of sunglasses).
According to Forbes magazine, Karim Benzema is one of the richest active athletes on the planet. He was ranked third among the highest paid football players in the world in 2025 with income (salaries and sponsorships) estimated at 89 million euros ($104 million).
The 2022 Ballon d’Or recently hinted during an interview with the newspaper L’Équipe that he would be up for joining the Blues to compete in the 2026 World Cup.
