Nike cancel planned London photoshoot with Karim Benzema over concerns regarding his controversial past

Nike cancelled a scheduled filming session for a campaign advert featuring Benzema on Wednesday night. According to a report from The Athletic, the sportswear company decided that Benzema did not align with their brand values. The filming was scheduled to take place in London on Thursday, focusing on a collaboration between Nike and Corteiz.

The brand had agreed to provide a €75,000 product allowance and travel arrangements. However, Nike dug deeper into his history and pulled the plug. In a statement, Nike said: “This project does not reflect a wider relationship between the athlete and Nike. We regret that conversations got this far.”

The decision from Nike stems from Benzema having previously been convicted of complicity in blackmail regarding a sex-tape scandal involving his former France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena in 2015. The case overshadowed his international career, causing him to miss five years of representing his country.

A Versailles court handed Benzema a one-year suspended jail sentence and a €75,000 fine in 2021. An initial appeal was abandoned in 2022. Addressing the legal situation at the time, his lawyer Hugues Vigier stated: “He is guilty under the law, that’s true. But judicial truth is different from reality.” A representative for Benzema confirmed Nike officially approached the player regarding the collaboration.

Benzema began his early career wearing Nike boots but spent the vast majority of his playing days with Adidas, joining the German brand in 2007. Adidas even released a signature pair of boots for Benzema when he won the Ballon d'Or in 2022. However, his contract with Adidas recently expired, leaving his representatives free to explore new commercial avenues. Before this cancelled shoot, Nike and Benzema held early-stage exchanges regarding a broader ambassadorial role, though Nike insisted there were no active plans. This commercial uncertainty coincides with his status on the pitch, as Benzema is currently a free agent after departing Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal at the end of August.

Benzema remains without a club and without a major boot sponsor as the autumn progresses. While the striker has not announced any intention to retire, his immediate future on the pitch is unclear following his brief stints with Al Hilal. Benzema will now need to find alternative commercial partners while his representatives work to secure him a new team before the current season advances much further.