Karim Benzema has rejected reports that Nike cancelled a planned advertising photoshoot with him because of concerns surrounding his controversial past, dismissing the claims as “fake news” on Instagram.
The report, first published by The Athletic, claimed Nike cancelled a London photoshoot at the last minute after reviewing Benzema’s history and determining that aspects of his past were incompatible with the brand’s values. Benzema has since disputed that account, adding another layer to a story involving one of football’s most decorated forwards.
Nike reportedly cancelled London shoot
According to The Athletic, Nike had arranged a promotional shoot involving Benzema and London-based streetwear label Corteiz. The session was reportedly scheduled to take place in London on Thursday, September 24, with Benzema expected to travel from Saudi Arabia. Nike was said to have provided Benzema with products worth around €75,000 and covered his travel arrangements.
The discussions reportedly went beyond the planned shoot, with the possibility of a broader ambassadorial relationship also being explored.
However, Nike reportedly cancelled the project on the evening before the scheduled shoot. Nike did not publicly specify what aspect of Benzema’s history had caused concern.
In a statement to The Athletic, the company said: “This project does not reflect a wider relationship between the athlete and Nike. We regret that conversations got this far.”
Benzema responds: “Fake news”
Benzema quickly addressed the reports on Instagram. The former Real Madrid striker posted an Instagram story containing the words “Fake news.. my dear”, rejecting the claim that the reported Nike collaboration had been cancelled for the reasons being circulated.
He also used the phrase “Mâle aimé”, a play on the French expression mal-aimé, meaning “unloved” or “unpopular.” Benzema did not provide a detailed alternative explanation for what happened between himself and Nike.
However, his representative disputed another important element of the reporting. According to The Athletic, the representative said Nike had approached Benzema, rather than the player seeking out the sportswear company for the collaboration.
That directly challenges the impression that Benzema was attempting to secure a Nike deal on his own.
Fans React as Benzema Pushes Back
Benzema’s “fake news” response quickly sparked reactions online. Some fans joked that the internet had been waiting for the Nike drama to unfold, while others praised the former Real Madrid star for shutting down the reports himself.
Why Benzema’s past became part of the story
The reports have brought attention back to the legal case involving Benzema and his former France teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Benzema was convicted in France in 2021 of complicity in an attempted blackmail plot connected to a sex-tape scandal involving Valbuena.
He received a one-year suspended prison sentence and a €75,000 fine and later abandoned his appeal in 2022. The case had also kept him out of the France squad for several years.
Importantly, however, Nike’s public statement did not explicitly say that the Valbuena case was the reason for the cancellation. The link between Benzema’s past and Nike’s decision came from The Athletic’s reporting, based on sources close to the situation. Benzema’s response directly disputes that account.
A five-time Champions League winner
The controversy surrounds a player whose football career places him among the most accomplished forwards of his generation. Benzema spent 14 seasons at Real Madrid, making 648 appearances and scoring 354 goals. That makes him the club’s second-highest scorer of all time, behind Cristiano Ronaldo. He won five Champions League titles, four LaLiga titles and 25 trophies during his Madrid career.
His 2021/22 season was the defining campaign of his career. Benzema scored 44 goals for Real Madrid, finished as the top scorer in both the Champions League and LaLiga, and played a decisive role in Madrid’s run to their 14th European Cup. His performances earned him the 2022 Ballon d’Or, making him the first Frenchman to win the award since Zinedine Zidane in 1998.
That football pedigree is important to the Nike story. Benzema is not simply a veteran player looking for a commercial partnership; he remains one of the most recognisable French footballers of the modern era.
Benzema’s changing commercial landscape
The reported Nike discussions also came during a major transition in Benzema’s career.
After leaving Real Madrid in 2023, Benzema moved to Saudi Arabia and joined Al-Ittihad, before later continuing his career with Al-Hilal. His time with Al-Hilal ended on August 31, 2026, when the club announced that it had mutually agreed with Benzema to terminate his contract.
At the same time, Benzema’s long-running relationship with Adidas had recently come to an end, leaving him without a major sportswear sponsor.
That made the reported Nike discussions particularly significant. A potential partnership would have represented a new chapter in the commercial career of a player who had been closely associated with Adidas for much of his professional career.
Nike’s wider football picture
The timing is also notable for Nike’s position within elite football. Just days before the Benzema reports emerged, Kylian Mbappé ended his long-standing Nike partnership and signed with Swiss sportswear company On. The move marked a major change for Mbappé and came as On prepares to expand into football, including plans to launch its first football boots in 2027.
There is no evidence that Mbappé’s departure was connected to Nike’s discussions with Benzema. However, the timing places the Benzema story within a broader period of change in football’s sportswear market.
For now, the central dispute remains unresolved. The Athletic reported that Nike cancelled the planned shoot after examining Benzema’s past, while Benzema has publicly dismissed that account as “fake news.” Nike has not publicly provided a more detailed explanation of the cancellation.
