Karim Benzema leaves Al-Ittihad to join Al-Hilal
It’s goodbye yellow and hello blue
After a three-year stint at Jeddah-based football club Al-Ittihad, French football star Karim Benzema has joined Al-Hilal. The Riyadh-based football club took to Instagram to announce the new move. Here’s what we know about Karim Benzema in Al-Hilal.
The former French international player was introduced via a photo of him sporting his new digs with the caption “Karim Benzema is officially Hilali.”
View this post on Instagram
Benzema has joined Al-Hilal on a free transfer as a striker and will be playing for Al-Hilal (affectionately called The Blue Wave) for the team for one and a half years, the club stated.
Though this chapter comes to an end, “respect and gratitude will always remain. Thank you to the club, the staff, my teammates, and especially the fans for the welcome, the love, and the energy you gave me every day,” Benzema wrote on social media. He also added, “This journey gave me a lot, both personally and professionally. I leave with my head held high, proud to have worn these colours and of everything we shared.”
Benzema is considered one of the most prominent players in the world, having contributed to winning 34 titles with the clubs he has represented. These include five FIFA Club World Cups, five UEFA Champions League titles, and four La Liga titles with Real Madrid. He also won four Ligue 1 titles with Lyon. Benzema has also played 97 international matches for the French national team, including winning the UEFA Nations League and participating in the World Cup.
Karim has won the Ballon d’Or and the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, in addition to being the top scorer in numerous international competitions.
More about Al-Hilal
Currently sitting at the top of the Saudi Pro League with 47 points, Al-Hilal is undoubtedly one of (if not the) best football clubs (we may be a tad biased). Al-Hilal have enjoyed unparalleled domestic success, winning a record 19 league championships, 13 Crown Prince Cups, seven Saudi Federation Cups, 11 King Cups, five Super Cups, and the Saudi Founder’s Cup. On the continental stage, the club has secured a record eight Asian Football Confederation titles, including the AFC Champions League in 1991, 2000, 2019, and 2021, the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997 and 2002, and the Asian Super Cup in 1997 and 2000. Internationally, Al-Hilal has appeared several times at the FIFA Club World Cup, finishing as runners-up in 2022 and becoming the first Asian team from a non-host nation to reach the final. In July 2025, they achieved another milestone by becoming the first Asian club to defeat a Premier League side, Manchester City, in an official match at the 2025 Club World Cup.
