The 2022 ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema outside of his incredible skills with the balms known for wearing a bandage wrapped around his hand. Many have wondered why the Real Madrid and France striker always wears the bandage.
The bandage that covers his right wrist and hand, this article will tell you he is always wearing the bandage. About four years ago, he sustained a finger injury in a game against Real Betis. In the game, he came against defender Marc Bartra and the clash broke his little finger.
The fracture on the finger was a serious one and so he was substituted at halftime and missed Madrid’s next game, a Copa del Rey last-16 tie with Leganés. But Benzema was able to face Sevilla at home in Madrid’s next league outing, and that day first sported his bandage. It appeared to bring him goalscoring luck, as he netted six times in the four games that followed. He scored against Girona, Espanyol, Girona again and Alavés.
At the time, it was reported how the splints necessary for these types of injuries are produced and fitted on the patient: they take just 20 minutes to make and cost around $40.
To avoid leaving Madrid without their key attacking player in the final months of the 2018/19 season, Benzema said he was not going to undergo any surgery to fix it immediately. Many people have been questioning him and came up with some superstitions about the bandage.
The 34-year-old hadn’t publicly clarified this question, he said: “I don’t have time to stop and have another operation.” Ahead of Madrid’s Champions League group-stage clash against Inter Milan in October 2021, however, he revealed he wears the bandage because he still needs it.
He said: “I did have an operation, but when you have surgery you have to be out for two months,” Benzema said. “I’ve hurt [the finger] again, but I don’t have time to stop and have another operation, so I wear the bandage when I’m playing.”
The Ballon d’Or winner was gifted by Adidas a gold-coloured hand bandage to use now alongside a new pair of boots. The France international said he is not going to have surgery until after his football career is over.