Al-Ittihad, based in Jeddah, confirmed on Tuesday that they have signed Real Madrid's Karim Benzema to a three-year deal. The Ballon d’Or winner is set to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league. The club celebrated the signing on Twitter, proclaiming that 'a new tiger will roar' and welcoming Benzema to the team. The Frenchman will once again be in the same country as his former teammate Ronaldo, who moved to Al Nassr from Manchester United following last year's World Cup.
Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema signed a three-year deal with Al-Ittihad, the Jeddah-based club confirmed on Tuesday. Ballon d’Or winner Benzema will join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. Benzema is here. A new tiger will roar. Welcome to Ittihad, the club wrote on Twitter. The Frenchman will join his former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo in the Gulf kingdom after the five-time world player of the Year moved to Al Nassr from Manchester United following last year’s World Cup.
There is ongoing speculation that Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players of all time, could also make a move to Saudi Arabia now that his two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain has expired.
The announcement of Benzema's move followed a statement from Real Madrid confirming the 35-year-old's departure after 14 seasons. This was unexpected, as coach Carlo Ancelotti had earlier claimed there was no doubt about the striker staying in the Spanish capital. Benzema originally joined the club back in 2009 from the French side Lyon.
During his time at Madrid, the Frenchman appeared in 648 games and scored 354 goals, making him the second-highest scorer in the club's history, surpassed only by Ronaldo. He won five Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles, and three Copa del Rey trophies. While he reached a career peak in the 2021-22 season—leading Madrid to Champions League glory and winning the Ballon d’Or—the subsequent season was marred by injuries, most notably a thigh problem that kept him out of France's World Cup squad in Qatar.
During a farewell event at Real Madrid’s training facilities on Tuesday, Benzema shared an emotional message with his teammates and the club's leadership. He admitted it was painful to leave, as he had always envisioned starting and ending his career at Madrid, but noted that life occasionally presents unexpected opportunities.
According to a source close to the talks speaking to AFP, Saudi Arabia has identified over ten world-class players—all of whom have won either the World Cup or the Champions League—that they are eager to recruit for their league.
This target list includes veteran stars who are nearing the end of their professional careers, such as Croatia's Luka Modric, Tottenham's Hugo Lloris, and N’Golo Kante from France.
As the world's leading oil producer, Saudi Arabia aims to host the World Cup in either 2030 or 2034. The government is utilizing sports to modernize its global image, though human rights organizations have criticized these efforts as 'sportswashing' to mask a restrictive regime.