Nike Scraps Karim Benzema London Campaign Shoot with Corteiz
Nike has called off a planned London campaign shoot involving Karim Benzema, ending a proposed collaboration linked to Corteiz before filming was due to begin on Thursday.
Why the decision matters
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Planned shoot | London, Thursday |
| Proposed product allocation | €75,000 |
| Legal sentence in 2021 | One-year suspended prison term and €75,000 fine |
| France absence | Five years |
The proposed work had included travel arrangements and a €75,000 allocation of Nike products. The company withdrew after reviewing Benzema’s background and concluded that the project was not consistent with its values.
Nike stressed that the cancelled campaign was not part of an established commercial agreement with the forward. The company said it regretted that discussions had progressed to that stage.
The decision is connected to Benzema’s conviction for complicity in the attempted blackmail of former France international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape affair dating from 2015. The episode had major consequences for Benzema’s international career, with the striker absent from the France side for five years.
A court in Versailles sentenced Benzema in 2021 to a suspended one-year jail term and fined him €75,000. He later dropped an appeal in 2022. His lawyer, Hugues Vigier, accepted that Benzema had been found guilty in legal terms while arguing that the court’s conclusion did not reflect the reality of the case.
A representative for Benzema confirmed that Nike had made contact over the proposed collaboration. There had also been preliminary conversations about a possible wider ambassador position, although Nike maintained that no active plan was in place.
The collapse of the project leaves Benzema without a leading boot partnership at a time when his playing future is also unsettled. He wore Nike footwear early in his career but spent most of his professional years with Adidas after joining the German manufacturer in 2007. Adidas produced a signature boot for him after he won the 2022 Ballon d’Or, but that agreement has since expired.
Benzema is currently a free agent after leaving Al Hilal at the end of August. He has not indicated that he intends to retire, but his representatives must now pursue both a new club and alternative commercial opportunities.
What remains unresolved
There is no indication of Benzema’s next destination or whether another major sportswear company will move for the former Real Madrid and France striker as the season continues.
