Karim Benzema, 38, leaves Al-Hilal, ‘could possibly retire’ after contract termination | OneFootball

According to Fabrizio Romano, Karim Benzema, 38, has left Al-Hilal after his contract was terminated with immediate effect. He will announce his decision soon, with retirement or another Saudi club under consideration and a return to Europe ruled out.

Benzema joined Ittihad Club from Real Madrid in 2023, then made a high-profile switch to rivals Al-Hilal in January 2026. Six months on, he is a free agent and may already have played his last match.

The update came as Al-Hilal presented Ollie Watkins. It is unclear whether the timing is connected. The 30-year-old joined Villa in 2020 and scored no fewer than 91 Premier League goals for the Birmingham club.

Al-Hilal are paying around 60 million euros for Watkins, who will play alongside Crysencio Summerville. The Netherlands international had already moved from England to Saudi Arabia earlier this summer.

For years Benzema was seen at Real as one of the game’s elite forwards, stepping out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow after the Portuguese left for Juventus in 2018. He scored 354 goals for Real, winning the Ballon d’Or, five Champions Leagues and four league titles.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”