He’s one of the most beloved soccer players, but Karim Benzema’s 37-year-old global fame stands in sharp contrast to how private he is about his personal life. The Al-Ittihad Jeddah Club player has four children from different relationships, but hardly any details have come out because he’s extremely protective of his privacy. He rarely shares photos with his family, and in interviews he usually sticks to soccer. That’s why his latest move at the Cannes Film Festival came as such a surprise. He chose the event to do something he had never done before: introduce his new partner, Lyna Khoudri, 33. We’ll tell you all about her below.
The Ballon d'Or winner's appearance on the red carpet before the 13 Jours 13 Nuits premiere on La Croisette was a massive surprise. His presence at an event like this was completely unexpected since he had never attended anything like it and usually only showed up for soccer-related appearances. What no one saw coming was that he would arrive with one of the film’s lead actresses, Lyna Khoudri.
They showed up holding hands and instantly stole the spotlight. They weren’t shy about being affectionate in public. Quite the opposite. The soccer player and the actress appeared totally relaxed and natural as a couple in front of hundreds of photographers. Their date was full of shared laughs, hugs, and walking together without letting go even for a moment.
Khoudri spoke about her much-talked-about appearance at Cannes in an interview with Le Parisien. She looked radiant in a Chanel design, the brand she represents as an ambassador. “Climbing the stairs even for the eighth time is overwhelming. And it still is. You never really get used to it. I focus by letting my mind drift a little. I tell the photographers there is no need to yell; we are just having fun,” she said about her arrival at the festival.
This is her eighth time at Cannes, with her first appearance back in 2019 for Papicha. This year felt even more special for her, with two of her films, 13 Jours 13 Nuits and Les Aigles de la République, being screened. On top of that, she chose this moment to share her love with the world.
The fascinating story of the actress everyone Is talking about
Lyna Khoudri is a beloved figure in the entertainment world and often described by the press as the darling of French cinema. She was born on October 3, 1992, in Algeria and moved to France when she was just two years old. Her upbringing was deeply connected to the arts — her mother was a violin teacher and her father a journalist.
In an interview with Grazia, Lyna shared that her family had to flee Algeria during the civil war because her father, who was a news anchor, received death threats from fundamentalists. They left everything behind, including their careers, and were forced to start over. Her mother found work as a cashier, and her father opened sandwich shops, phone centers, and internet cafés to support the family.
Khoudri’s childhood was shaped by books, concerts, museum visits, and afternoons at the movies. From a young age, she was drawn to the stage and eventually pursued formal training at university. She completed an internship at the Théâtre de la Colline before achieving a major milestone by joining the cast of the National Theatre of Strasbourg.
Her time there was shorter than expected, though, because she was offered a role in a film that she simply could not turn down. After a few appearances in TV series, she made her big screen debut in Les Bienheureux, a film that would change the course of her career. It was not just a breakthrough in terms of visibility — her performance earned her the Orizzonti Award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.
From that moment on, her rise was unstoppable. She began landing major roles and collecting accolades, including the prestigious César Award for Most Promising Actress.