“I Wanted to Leave Real Madrid on Top”: Karim Benzema on His Decision to Play in Saudi Arabia
The former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema is hailed as one of the most prolific goalscorers of his generation. Notably, he is the second-highest all-time goalscorer for the Los Blancos in their history, surpassing legendary figures such as Raul, Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskás. During his 14-year spell at the Spanish capital, Benzema bagged a staggering 354 goals tally in 648 appearances from 2009 to 2023.
Further, the 37-year-old lifted numerous silverware with the Spanish giants, including five UEFA Champions League titles, four La Liga titles and five FIFA Club World Cup successes — are among the most significant ones.
In the 2021/22 season, the Frenchman enjoyed a remarkable individual campaign, netting 44 times and finished as top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, eventually lifting both trophies.
Subsequently, Benzema was awarded the Best Player of the Year in 2022, winning the coveted Ballon d’Or accolade, following his incredible 2021/22 season to become only the second French player to secure the award after Zinedine Zidane. Next summer, Karim Benzema decided to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad following the footsteps of his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Recently, the striker revealed his thoughts behind the decision to leave Real Madrid after a record-setting season and why he chose to continue his career out of Europe in the Middle East, signing for a Jeddah-based club.
Karim Benzema’s Thoughts
“I accomplished everything. I started as a young boy and left as a man,” Benzema said, “Having won all those titles and the Ballon d’Or, I wanted to leave on a high note. Nobody knows how I would have performed the following year. For me, Real Madrid is the best club in the world, and I did not want to move to another team that could compete with them, such as PSG or City.”
The Ballon d’Or winner also disclosed that the Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was the first person Benzema told his choice to leave the club in the summer of 2023. The Frenchman stated, “He was the first person I called when I decided to leave. He didn’t fully understand at first, but I told him the young players (Vinicius and Rodrygo) were ready,”
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