Karim Benzema has left Al Ittihad and signed a contract with Saudi Pro League rivals Al Hilal, the club announced Monday.
“Karim Benzema is officially Hilali,” Al Hilal posted on X.
After the deal was held up by the Saudi Ministry of Sports and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Monday, issues were resolved on deadline day and the 38-year-old will get his wish to change Saudi clubs.
Out of contract in six months with Al Ittihad, Benzema, 38, rejected a contract extension from Al Ittihad, considering it “disrespectful.”
The Al Ittihad deal from the Saudi Pro League, which handles the contracts of the main players in PIF-owned clubs, would effectively have seen Benzema play for free, sources said.
Instead, PIF orchestrated a move to rivals Al Hilal for the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner, which angered Cristiano Ronaldo, sources said.
The Portugal star refused to play for Al Nassr on Monday in protest. Ronaldo considered that PIF was not investing enough in Al Nassr and instead was giving an advantage to Al Ittihad.
Benzema, who had offers from European clubs, wanted to stay in Saudi Arabia, partly because his image right contract there is until 2030.
Youssef En-Nesyri, the Morocco and Fenerbahçe forward, will replace him in Jeddah while former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kanté, 34, will leave Al Ittihad join Fenerbahce.
Ronaldo is still waiting for his first league title since moving to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and has seen his main rival strengthen with the addition of five-time Champions League winner Benzema.
The former Real Madrid striker, a teammate of Ronaldo’s at the Spanish giant. led Al Ittihad to the title last year, as well as the King’s Cup.
Al Hilal is Saudi Arabia’s most successful team with 21 league titles and four Asian Championships.
Last year it stunned Manchester City at the Club World Cup 4-3 and knocked out Pep Guardiola’s team.
Coached by two-time Champions League finalist Simone Inzaghi, it represents a major threat to Ronaldo’s hopes of being crowned league champion after sparking a wave of top soccer players — including Benzema — to move to the Saudi league.
