The Saudi Pro League champion Al-Ittihad announced today, Tuesday, the signing of French player Karim Benzema from Real Madrid until 2026. The club shared a video on Twitter showcasing Benzema's journey and skills, featuring the player signing the contract and holding up the club's jersey with "2026" written on it. Benzema expressed his excitement in the video, saying, "I can't wait to see you in Jeddah." He also updated his Twitter profile to announce his joining the Saudi club.
In his first exclusive interview as an Al-Ittihad player, which will be published on the club's social media channels, Benzema stated, "I am excited to experience a new competition in a different country. Al-Ittihad has an amazing history and incredibly passionate supporters, with great ambitions in football to be a force in Asia after winning the league." He added, "I have been fortunate to achieve amazing things in my career and accomplish everything I could in Spain and Europe."
Benzema continued, "It is a new challenge for me, a new life and I can't wait to start training. I will do everything to win titles, to score, to show my talent, and to please the fans, the club, the president, and everyone." He noted, "There are many great players. Ronaldo is already there, and he is a friend who shows that Saudi Arabia has started to enhance its development in the game. I am here to win, just as I did in Europe."
"I feel it is time for new challenges and a new project. Every time I visit Saudi Arabia, I always feel the warmth and love from the fans and the people. I look forward to joining my new teammates and helping to take this great club and the game in Saudi Arabia to new heights."
Club president Anmar Al-Haili confirmed during the signing ceremony the strength of the Saudi league, "which has become attractive to all stars thanks to its high levels and competition, as well as the viewership that reached over 180 countries during the past season." Al-Haili revealed Benzema's jersey number at Al-Ittihad, stating, "We are excited to see him in jersey number 9 for the Tigers." He expressed his happiness to sign "one of the greatest football stars in history and we are proud of this historic step in our club's illustrious journey and devoted fans. Benzema will represent us at the start of the next season as we face a strong challenge to defend our league title and compete in the Asian championship, as well as participate globally in the Club World Cup."
Earlier today, Benzema bid farewell to his club Real Madrid in a small, private ceremony without fans and media after a remarkable 14-year career. The 35-year-old forward left his club amicably to join Al-Ittihad in a deal estimated by media to be worth over €100 million ($106.93 million). Benzema joined Real Madrid in 2009 from Olympique Lyon and became the focal point of the club's attack and its top scorer after Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus in 2018.
He scored 354 goals with Real Madrid, ranking second on the club's all-time scorers list behind Ronaldo. Benzema had his best season in 2021-2022, netting 44 goals across all competitions, leading his team to reinforce their position and win the European title for the 14th time in the club's history along with winning the La Liga title. For his performances, he won the Ballon d'Or and became the first player to win that award since Zinedine Zidane in 1998, and the fifth French player to achieve this feat overall.
Benzema is following in the footsteps of his former Madrid teammate Ronaldo, who moved to Saudi Arabia last December when he joined Al-Nassr on a lucrative contract. Numerous reports have also linked Argentine Lionel Messi to a potential move to Al-Hilal following his announcement of leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
