Footballers of Karim Benzema's calibre know how to make headlines even when the ball plays no part in the moment. The Al-Ittihad striker, used to deciding matches with a single touch in the penalty area, has now made a move away from the pitch — and did it with real swagger. Benzema has added a Pablo Picasso work to his personal collection and announced it as if he were introducing the fans to the team's new leader.
A Social Media Post That Landed Like a Stoppage-Time Goal
Benzema posted a photo with the painting and captioned it with a short but punchy line: “Welcome home”. In football terms, it sounds like greeting a new arrival in the dressing room — except here the “new signing” is a work by an artist whose name alone carries the weight of a trophy. The gesture spread instantly across feeds: it sparked curiosity among fans, gave the media a reason to discuss a different side of the star, and earned a respectful nod from collectors.
Which Masterpiece Ended up With Al-Ittihad's Striker?
According to RMC Sport, the purchase is Picasso's “Portrait of a Bearded Man”. The work dates back to 1964 — a period when Picasso was no longer simply a painter, but an absolute icon shaping entire directions in art. With names like this, the year matters the way statistics do in football: knowing the “season” when the great was at his peak helps you read the value correctly.
The New York Stage: Where the Deal Was Done
The painting was reportedly displayed in early 2025 in New York — at the gallery of art dealer Helly Nahmad. In the art world, venues like this are comparable to Europe's elite stadiums: you don't end up there by chance, and the works on show are the ones serious players in the market are ready to compete for. You could say the “talks” happened at the highest level, and the purchase itself was not an impulse souvenir, but a deliberate choice made with status in mind.
Money Loves Silence, but the Scale Speaks Without Numbers
The price of the acquisition has not been disclosed, but in market terms that is more than enough to set the imagination running. Picasso works are known to sell at auction for sums exceeding one million euros. Even without a precise figure, the picture is clear: this is not “a nice piece for the wall”, but a heavyweight move — like a transfer where the fee is kept quiet, yet everyone understands it is top-tier.
Why This Story Matters: Football Has Long Been Played Beyond the Stadium
Modern stars are not defined only by goals and assists. They become brands, investors, collectors — people who set the tone off the pitch, too. In that sense, Benzema is acting with the instincts of an elite athlete: choosing reliable assets, reinforcing his personal status, and building a narrative around his name. If on the grass he is valued for sensing space, reading the tempo, and finishing moments with ice-cold composure, then away from matchday he is showing another quality — taste, and an ambition to compete in the “top league” in cultural terms.
Trophies Come in Many Forms: Another Win Without the Referee's Whistle
Buying a Picasso is not just a polished frame for social media. It is a statement: a football star can win not only matches, but also symbolic “duels” for rare works that stay with the owner for years. And if success on the pitch is measured by the scoreline, here it is measured by the weight of the name, the story of the painting, and how confidently you can move in a world where the stakes are no smaller than in a final.
