Al-Hilal officially announced on Monday that Karim Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner and French striker, has joined the club on a free transfer. The two sides signed a one-and-a-half-year contract, valid until June 30, 2027.

The official announcement also confirmed that Benzema will wear the number 90 jersey at Al-Hilal in Riyadh.

On the eve of joining Riyadh Crescent, Benzema and Jeddah United terminated their contract, which was originally scheduled to expire in 2026. The trigger for the parting of ways was the contract renewal proposal put forward by Jeddah United, in which the conditions of "significant salary reduction and retention of only image rights income" were regarded as "absurd and extremely insulting" by Benzema and his team.

Other reports suggest that Al-Hilal star Cristiano Ronaldo attempted to block the transfer by refusing to play, but ultimately failed. Al-Hilal currently leads the table with 47 points from 14 wins and 5 draws, and Benzema's arrival undoubtedly adds significant weight to their title challenge.

The 38-year-old Benzema previously played for Lyon and Real Madrid, making 796 appearances and contributing 420 goals and 181 assists. His honors include four Ligue 1 titles, one Coupe de France, two French Super Cups, five Champions League titles, five Club World Cups, four La Liga titles, four UEFA Super Cups, three Copa del Rey titles, and four Spanish Super Cups. He also made 97 appearances for the French national team, scoring 37 goals and providing 20 assists, winning the 2021 UEFA Nations League title with the team.

After leaving Real Madrid in July 2023, Benzema joined Al-Jeddah United as a free agent. To date, he has made 83 appearances for Al-Jeddah United, scoring 54 goals and providing 17 assists, winning one Saudi league title and one Saudi Cup title with the team.

Image source: Internet