Karim Benzema was due in London for a Nike campaign on Thursday, but the set was reportedly dismantled before it began. The planned shoot, connected to the streetwear label Corteiz, was called off on Wednesday night after Nike reconsidered the former France forward’s public record.
The 38-year-old, who is currently without a club after leaving Al-Hilal during the summer, had been expected to take part in the commercial production the following day. Nike withdrew on the eve of the appointment after reviewing issues from Benzema’s past that the company considered inconsistent with its values.
Nike did not identify the precise concerns behind the decision, but issued a statement stressing that the abandoned project should not be interpreted as a wider break in its dealings with the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner. “This project does not reflect a broader relationship between the athlete and Nike,” the company said. “We regret that discussions progressed as far as they did.”
Benzema’s court case remains part of the picture
Benzema was found guilty by a French court in October 2021 of complicity in an attempted blackmail case involving Mathieu Valbuena and a sex-tape affair. He received a one-year suspended prison sentence and a €75,000 fine.
He chose not to pursue an appeal in 2022. The affair had also led to his exclusion from the France national team before his eventual return, with Benzema later helping Les Bleus reach the latter stages of his international career and winning the Ballon d’Or in 2022.
The cancelled London session comes at a transitional moment for the striker’s commercial profile. Benzema had been associated with Adidas for almost his entire professional career, but is no longer tied to the German sportswear manufacturer. Nike had reportedly made contact with him after Kylian Mbappé recently left the brand for On.
