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Nieuws
- 28 Jan 2026
Karim Benzema refuses to play for Al-Ittihad as striker set to leave Saudi
Martin Macdonald
- 29 Jan 2026 07:30 CST
- 4 min read
Nieuws
Karim Benzema has refused to play in Al-Ittihad's next match and looks set to leave the Saudi Pro League in the coming months.
In 2023, the superstar Frenchman was one of the first high-profile names to head to the Middle-East for the riches of the Saudi Pro League, joining Al-Ittihad.
As well as being paid handsomely, he has enjoyed success on the pitch, too, winning the Pro League and King's Cup in 2024/25.
Benzema's contract with the club expires in June of 2026 and he has apparently received offers from sides in Europe, as he confirmed himself in November.
📸| Benzema doesn't settle for just one goal - he wants more ☝️💛 pic.twitter.com/JFhmVCFDhH
— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) November 29, 2025
"It's true that my contract here is coming to an end. I can't say yet what I'm going to do, whether I'll stay or leave - it depends on a lot of things. In December, I'll be 38. I still see myself playing football for another two years," he said.
"We'll see what happens, what the club thinks. I like to talk face-to-face and then see what they think. The best thing for me would be to continue here, but not just for one or two more years. I don't want to do that.
"It's true that I have offers from Europe. I need to consider everything, choose wisely, and see where I feel good, not forgetting that I feel comfortable here and receive everyone's affection. In any case, I'm not going to stop playing football or competing in six months."
Things have turned sour at Al-Ittihad as the club has offered Benzema an extension to his current deal that the player turned down.
On Thursday, Al-Ittihad face Al-Fateh and the former Real Madrid star has informed the club he will not participate, reports FootMercato.
Benzema one of the highest-paid athletes in the world
According to Sportico, Benzema is the sixth highest-paid athlete in any sport in the world, with earnings in 2025 of $115 million.
His former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with 2025 earnings of $260m.
Top 20 highest-paid athletes in the world in 2025
| Athlete | Sport | Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | $260m |
| 2. Canelo Alvarez | Boxing | $137m |
| 3. Lionel Messi | Football | $130m |
| 4. Juan Soto | Baseball | $129.2m |
| 5. LeBron James | Basketball | $128.7m |
| 6. Karim Benzema | Football | $115m |
| 7. Steph Curry | Basketball | $105.4m |
| 8. Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | $102.5m |
| 9. Kevin Durant | Basketball | $100.8m |
| 10. John Rahm | Golf | $100.7m |
| 11. Lewis Hamilton | F1 | $100m |
| 12. Kylian Mbappe | Football | $95m |
| 13. Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | $94.3m |
| 14. Rory McIlroy | Golf | $91.2m |
| 15. Max Verstappen | F1 | $83m |
| 16. Scottie Scheffler | Golf | $82.9m |
| 17. Patrick Mahomes | NFL | $80.3m |
| 18. Erling Haaland | Football | $77.9m |
| 19. Josh Allen | NFL | $73.2m |
| 20. Justin Herbert | NFL | $71.1m |
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