Football News and Trivia: Why does Real Madrid star Karim Benzema wear a bandage on his right hand?

This campaign saw 44 goals scored by the Frenchman across all competitions. It is a remarkable feat for the 34-year-old who was once in Cristiano Ronaldo's shadow.

Fans must have noticed a wrap on Benzema's right hand that he has been consistently wearing for the last three years.

It's hard not to notice when Benzema pumps his fist into the air when he finds the back of the net.

Does Benzema wrap his hand every match out of superstition? Does he have an injury? Here's why Benzema wraps his hand every game.

What is the reason behind Karim Benzema's bandaged hands?

Eagle-eyed game fans may have noticed Karim Benzema's habit of wearing a bandage on his right hand during games.

Jose Antonio Camacho and Chendo, former Real Madrid stars, were known to have worn bandages. However, the tradition is not the reason the striker wraps both his hands whenever he steps onto the pitch.

The incident began when Marc Bartra, Real Betis' defender, collided with the Frenchman during a LaLiga match on January 13, 2019.

Benzema broke the little finger in his right hand. He was recommended to have surgery, which would take around two months.

The Ballon d'Or 2022 hopeful did not want to have another operation after fracturing the finger.

Benzema refuted the doctors, and six days later, he was back for the match against Sevilla at home.

In the 14 days following the injury, he would score a brace against Espanyol in the next game, which was a 4-2 victory.

In the following four games, he scored six times. The wrap in his hand seemed to have doubled as a good luck charm. It even formed part of his celebration.

Karim Benzema opens up on his bandaged pinky finger

Unfortunately, Karim Benzema was allowed to return to the side; this caused him further injuries.

Although it is not known when the second knock took place, Benzema confirmed that it was during a pre-match in a press conference in the 2021-22 season.

Benzema said, "I did have surgery, but the problem is that you need to be out for two months, and I wanted to stay with my teammates."

"I then injured it again, but now I don't have time to have another surgery, so that's why I play with a bandage," the Real Madrid striker continued.

Karim Benzema is still putting off the surgery that would have him out of commission for a long time as he continues to wear the bandage.

He has so many matches on the calendar that it's not practical to allow him to take two months off.

It would mean that his preseason preparations would be so behind that he would likely miss the start of the new campaign.

After wearing the wrap for three years, it has become part of Benzema's on-field presence and persona, an identifying feature so noticeable that his FIFA video game character also sports it.

Benzema has experienced great success since donning the bandage, so he does not appear hasty to undergo an operation on his hand, which could rid him of it for good. 

If it is a superstition holding him back from healing his injury, he will need to have it operated on before the end of his career.