Karim Benzema’s heartfelt message to Al Ittihad: ‘This chapter comes to an end…’

Benzama joined Al-Ittihad as a free agent in 2023 summer after he won the Ballon d'Or. With the help of his French team, Ngolo Kante and Brazil's Fabinho, Benzema helped the club to a title last season

2 min readFeb 3, 2026 08:11 PM IST

Karim Benzema in action. (Reuters)

French footballer Karima Benzema left a heartfelt message through social media to Saudi pro club Al Ittihad after he moved to the league rivals Al-Hilal. The 38-year-old denied the contract from Al Ittihad before moving to his new club.

Benzema, in his message, thanked all the parties involved in his club during the two-and-half years tenure and said he was proud to be part of the team.

“Al Ittihad, This chapter comes to an end, but the 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. This journey gave me a lot, both personally and professionally. I leave with my head held high, proud to have worn these colors and of everything we shared. I wish you all the best for what’s next. Respect. KB9”, he posted on X.

Benzama joined Al-Ittihad as a free agent in 2023 summer after he won the Ballon d’Or. With the help of his French team, Ngolo Kante and Brazil’s Fabinho, Benzema helped the club to a title last season.

The former Real Madrid striker, 38, scored 16 goals in 21 matches for Al-Ittihad in all competitions this season.

Al-Hilal sit top of the league standings with 47 points, one point ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. Al-Ittihad are sixth with 34 points.

Al-Hilal is Saudi Arabia’s most successful team with 21 league titles and four Asian Championships.

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Last year it stunned Manchester City at the Club World Cup 4-3 and knocked out Pep Guardiola’s team.

Coached by two-time Champions League finalist Simone Inzaghi, it represents a major threat to Ronaldo’s hopes of being crowned league champion after sparking a wave of top soccer players — including Benzema — to move to the Saudi league.

Benzema’s deal comes at a time when there are reports Ronaldo is unhappy about a lack of transfer activity from Al-Nassr.