Soccer Index | Football Information

Karim Benzema has officially become a player for al-Hilal, the Riyadh club announced on X. The transfer was still held up by the Saudi Ministry of Sports and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Monday, but the obstacles were removed on the deadline day, so the 38-year-old French striker can change clubs within the Saudi top flight.

Benzema’s contract at al-Ittihad was due to expire in six months and he rejected the club’s offer of an extension, which he considered “disrespectful”. After the trial, he went on strike and missed his team’s league game on January 29. According to press reports, the new agreement would have practically meant an unpaid appearance for him. Although he also received offers from European clubs, the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner preferred to stay in Saudi Arabia, partly because his advertising rights contract ties him to the country until 2030. This is where the decision of the PIF and the Saudi crown prince came into the picture: the investment fund is the majority owner of four clubs in the local top flight. And so the question had to be played down: after al-Ittihad, al-Nassr, al-Ahli or al-Hilal should be the next stop in Benzem’s career.

Needless to say, the matter has caused tension within the league, with Cristiano Ronaldo expressing his displeasure that the PIF ultimately referred Benzema to rivals al-Hilal while he felt al-Nassr were not getting enough support. The Portuguese forward refused to play on Monday in protest. Ronaldo has yet to win a league title since his Saudi contract in 2022, while one of his biggest rivals has now gone from strength to strength.

Al-Hilal is the most successful club in Saudi Arabia with 21 league titles and four Asian trophies. The team defeated Manchester City 4-3 in the last Club World Cup and is currently managed by two-time Champions League finalist Simone Inzaghi, so the arrival of Benzema could be an even more serious challenger to Ronaldo’s championship hopes.

It is interesting that al-Ittihad is the Saudi champion of the last edition, while al-Hilal finished first in the 2023-2024 season.

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