Karim Benzema took 31 minutes to open his account for Al-Hilal with a nutmeg again heel to place his new membership 1-0 forward at Al-Okhdood on Thursday.
من كل الزوايا 🎥🔥
هدف فريق الهلال الأول في مرمى فريق الأخدود عن طريق اللاعب كريم بنزيما ⚽️#الأخدود_الهلال | #دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/PSqnWFkbDq
— رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) February 5, 2026
2022 Ballon d’Or winner Benzema, who accomplished his transfer from Al-Ittihad shortly earlier than the Saudi Professional League switch deadline on Tuesday, produced an audacious close-range end from Nasser Al-Dawsari’s go, sending the ball by means of the legs of centre-back Koray Gunter on the road earlier than a examine for offside allowed the aim.
هدف! ⚽️
الهلال يعزز تقدمه بهدف ثاني سجله كريم بنزيما في شباك الأخدود 🔵#الأخدود_الهلال | #دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/nANY9ntshG
— رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) February 5, 2026
Benzema accomplished his hat-trick with two targets inside 5 minutes after the restart, adopted by one from Malcom and two by Salem Aldawsari to finish a 6-0 rout.
هدف! ⚽️
الهلال يعزز تقدمه بهدف ثالث سجله كريم بنزيما في شباك الأخدود 🔵#الأخدود_الهلال | #دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/wOp8DHWmUI
— رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) February 5, 2026
Former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, who joined Al-Hilal from the Reds for £46 million earlier than the beginning of the season, was not of their matchday squad.
Al Hilal debut vs Al Okhdood: Benzema scores
Benzema’s transfer to Al-Hilal coincided with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo lacking an Al-Nassr recreation amid reviews suggesting the Portugal captain is disgruntled by his membership’s lack of switch exercise.
Now 38, Benzema carried on the place he left off on the Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Sports activities Metropolis Stadium in Nejran, the place he scored a hat-trick for Al-Ittihad on the primary day of this season.
Teammate Sergej Milinkovic-Savic thought he had made the breakthrough earlier within the first half with a neat strike from contained in the field, solely to be denied following a Video Assistant Evaluate examine.
MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo: The face of Saudi football, the disrespect and what happens now
Karim Benzema Al Hilal debut
Al-Hilal mentioned there may be “a lot achieved” and “extra to come back” after Benzema marked his arrival on the Saudi Professional League giants with a video message to followers on Tuesday.
Benzema turned down a brand new deal at Al-Ittihad, with whom he gained final season’s Saudi Professional League and King’s Cup, in favour of becoming a member of Al-Hilal, who began Thursday some extent above Al-Nassr on the summit after 19 matches of the 34-game season.
“Large title,” Al-Hilal mentioned in a social media submit, sharing pictures of Benzema posing in a membership scarf. “Large ambitions.”
In a video message, Benzema mentioned: “Hello, followers. How are you? I’m comfortable to be right here. I’ve simply landed from Jeddah. I’ll see you quickly.”
Benzema vs Ronaldo
Benzema’s aim took the previous France worldwide to 9 in 15 league appearances this season – one behind Al-Hilal high scorer Marcos Leonardo – and 16 targets in 21 video games general.
Ronaldo has 17 targets in 18 league matches and 18 targets in 22 video games in all competitions. Ivan Toney’s 18 targets for Al-Ahli make the previous England striker the main marksman within the Saudi Professional League 2025/26.
Benzema is but to register an help this season however supplied 9 in 2024/25, all within the league. Certainly one of Ronaldo’s three assists in 2025/26 has been within the league, with three of his 4 assists final season coming within the division.
Large title.. Large ambitions 💙
Welcome, 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐞𝐦𝐚 💫🤩 pic.twitter.com/SooNiFUz57
— AlHilal Saudi Membership (@Alhilal_EN) February 3, 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo contract
Ronaldo is but to win the Saudi title regardless of top-scoring within the high flight in every of his two full seasons with Al-Nassr, who’ve doubtlessly colosssal monetary may by means of the nation’s Public Funding Fund.
Shortly after Al-Nassr completed third final season – 13 factors behind Al-Ittihad – Ronaldo appeared to strongly trace on social media that he had performed his last recreation for the membership.
He agreed a brand new contract precisely a month later, having scored in Portugal’s triumphant Nations League semi-final towards Germany and last towards Spain.
The five-time Champions League winner scored 35 targets in 41 matches throughout all competitions for Al-Nassr in 2024/25.
Cristiano Ronaldo wage, wages
On monetary web site Forbes’ all-time record of the very best incomes athletes in a 12 months, solely boxer Floyd Mayweather eclipses Ronaldo, having pocketed an estimated $300 million (£226m) in 2015 and $285m (£214.5m) in 2018.
Ronaldo was mentioned to have surpassed $1 billion (£771m) in profession earnings two years earlier than changing into probably the most high-profile footballer to maneuver to Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo’s first Al-Nassr deal was broadly reported to be price £14.75m a month or £3.4m per week. His annual wage was mentioned to be £177m per 12 months, made up of £62m for his soccer wage, supplemented by industrial bonuses.
Ronaldo has quite a lot of profitable sponsorship offers, along with his latest endorsements together with Whoop, online game UFL and cryptocurrency change Binance.
Karim Benzema Actual Madrid stats
Benzema’s 354 targets throughout 14 years for Actual Madrid make him the Spanish giants’ second-highest all-time scorer behind former team-mate Ronaldo, who hit 451.
The 2022 World Cup runner-up with France has mentioned in interviews that he sees himself as an envoy for soccer in Saudi Arabia who can assist entice extra elite European footballers to the league.
After leaving Madrid a 12 months earlier than the tip of his contract, Benzema joined Al-Ittihad on a three-year contract in 2023.
Karim Benzema in Saudi Arabia
Benzema’s first season in Saudi Arabia produced a return of 13 targets and eight assists in 29 matches that was low by his prolific requirements as Al-Ittihad endured a turbulent 2023/24, ending with no trophy and sacking present Nottingham Forest supervisor Nuno Espirito Santo in November.
Former Barcelona sporting director Ramon Planes joined the nine-time champions in the identical position he held on the Spanish giants in January 2024, and ex-Paris Saint-Germain supervisor Laurent Blanc led them to glory in 2024/25, having taken over in July.
Benzema scored 25 instances in 33 appearances in all competitions final season, together with 21 within the league. Ronaldo’s 25 targets earned him the Saudi Professional League golden boot.
Karim Benzema wage, wages, contract
Benzema’s Al-Ittihad deal entitled the membership to pay him a wage of as much as $100 million (round £83m), in line with The Athletic.
He was reported to have been contemplating retirement final season and has mentioned in interviews that he sees himself as an envoy for soccer in Saudi Arabia who can assist entice extra elite European footballers to the league.
Benzema turned down presents to return to Europe as a result of his picture rights deal commits him to Saudi Arabia till 2030, in line with ESPN.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Al Nassr fixtures
Al-Nassr are subsequent in motion at house to Al-Ittihad on Friday (17:30 GMT). Two-time African Footballer of the Yr Sadio Mane scored the one aim of the sport – arrange by Portugal ahead Joao Felix – of their 1-0 win at Al-Riyadh on Monday.
Al-Hilal stay unbeaten within the league however have been held to a 3rd straight draw with a goalless stalemate at Al-Ahli on the identical day.
