Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema (France) has joined Saudi Arabia’s professional soccer team Al Ittihad.
The club announced the signing of Benzema on its website on Sunday, posting a photo of him holding the club’s jersey.
The club did not disclose the terms of the contract, saying only that it runs until 2026.
U.S. sports outlet ESPN estimated that 안전놀이터 “Benzema has been offered a two-year, €400 million deal by the club.”
Benzema is a world-class striker who won the Ballon d’Or, men’s soccer’s most prestigious award, last year and scored 31 goals in the 2022-2023 season for Real Madrid in Spanish professional soccer, including 19 in league play.
Benzema made his professional debut in 2004 with Lyon, France, before moving to Real Madrid in 2009, where he remained until the 2022-2023 season.
He has 37 goals in 97 caps for France.
With Benzema’s move, the Saudi Arabian league now has a world-class striker in Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), who joined Al Nasr in January.
Al Ittihad are based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and are the 2022-2023 league champions.
Nuno Espirito Santo (PORT), a former manager of Tottenham in the English Premier League, is at the helm.