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Former Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema recently joined Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad for a massive salary after serving the Spanish giants for 14 long years. The Frenchman will be playing for a squad that just won the Arab League by defeating Al-Nassr which was led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Hilal, a team that had just faced Real Madrid and Karim Benzema in the Club World Cup final six months prior.
Karim Benzema will become one of the top three highest-paid players in the world after joining Al Ittihad. The contract that Benzema ultimately decided to sign on Sunday will keep him under contract until 2025, with an option to extend it until 2026.
As an ambassador for the 2030 World Cup, which Saudi Arabia is vying to host, he will receive a salary of 100 million euros per season plus a bonus of 20 million euros. The 35-year-old striker will thus generate a total of at least 220 million euros and possibly as much as 320 million euros. It should also be noted that Saudi Arabia does not have an income tax system which will favour Benzema even more. The French striker is already used to King Abdullah Sports City, the venue for Al Ittihad's home matches. It was here that Real Madrid won the first Spanish Super Cup to be contested on Arabian soil in 2020.
Al Ittihad are also targeting Chelsea’s N'Golo Kanté to join the club alongside Karim Benzema. Whereas another Saudi club Al-Hilal want Lionel Messi to join the league. Messi has been offered a huge 400 million euro deal by Al-Hilal, which if he ends up accepting, will become the highest-paid athlete in the world, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to reports, the Saudi Pro League wants to put together a super side that includes Lionel Messi, who is currently a free agent, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo to play a friendly match against a major European club.
