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Players who played for both Lyon and Real Madrid
5 famous players have played for both Lyon and Real Madrid, including Karim Benzema, Michael Essien, Ferland Mendy and Endrick. 4 of them played for Lyon first; 1 started at Real Madrid.
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Karim BenzemaEarliest on this list to play for both: Lyon (2004–2009), then Real Madrid from 2009.- EndrickLatest on this list: Real Madrid first, then Lyon from 2025.
All 5 players, most famous first
- Karim Benzema
France · Forward · born 1987- Lyon
- 2004–2009
- Real Madrid
- 2009–2023
- Lyon
- 2003–2005
- Real Madrid
- 2012–2013
- Ferland MendyFrance · Defender · born 1995
- Lyon
- 2017–2019
- Real Madrid
- from 2019
- Endrick
Brazil · Forward · born 2006- Lyon
- 2025–2026
- Real Madrid
- from 2024
- Lyon
- 2017–2018
- Real Madrid
- 2018–2023
Years are club stints from Wikidata (snapshot 2026-09-28); a loan that runs straight into a transfer is shown as one stint. “from YEAR” means no end year is recorded — it is not a claim about a current club.
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Questions
How many famous players have played for both Lyon and Real Madrid?
5 in our data, including Karim Benzema, Michael Essien, Ferland Mendy and Endrick. The list covers famous footballers only — players covered by at least 45 language editions of Wikipedia — so it is not every player who ever wore both shirts.
Who was the first player on this list to play for both clubs?
In our data, Karim Benzema: Lyon (2004–2009), then Real Madrid (2009–2023).
Where does this list come from?
Club careers from Wikidata, the open database behind Wikipedia (public domain, CC0), snapshot 2026-09-28. Senior spells count, loans included when Wikidata records them; youth and reserve teams do not. Found a mistake? Tell us via the About page.