RIYADH — Karim Benzema appears to be approaching the final whistle on a career that has delivered the Ballon d’Or, five UEFA Champions League titles, more than 500 goals and a place among the defining strikers of his generation.
The 38-year-old French star is leaning toward retiring from professional football after reaching a mutual agreement with Al Hilal to terminate his contract, according to local media.
If Benzema follows through with retirement, it would bring down the curtain on an extraordinary journey that began in Lyon, reached its greatest heights during 14 trophy-laden years at Real Madrid and concluded with a three-year chapter in Saudi Arabia at Al Ittihad and Al Hilal.
His departure from Al Hilal comes only around six months after joining the Riyadh giants on Feb. 2, 2026.
Benzema had wanted to remain at Al Hilal and was reportedly deeply frustrated during three days of intense negotiations over his future. But with the club moving in a different direction, both sides ultimately agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent.
A potential route to prolonging his playing career emerged through Al Shabab, who were prepared to sign the former France international and sought assistance from the Saudi Pro League to facilitate a transfer.
Benzema, however, rejected the proposed move.
That decision has pushed retirement firmly into view, with people close to the striker indicating that he is now considering ending his playing career rather than joining another club.
From Lyon prodigy to Madrid legend
Should this prove to be the end, Benzema leaves behind a career few strikers can rival.
Born in Lyon, he emerged from the academy of his hometown club and quickly established himself as one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards. His performances earned him a move to Real Madrid in 2009, beginning an association that would transform both his career and his place in football history.
Initially operating alongside global superstars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema gradually evolved from an unselfish facilitator into Madrid’s attacking leader.
His defining individual season came in 2021-22.
Benzema produced a series of extraordinary Champions League performances, including memorable hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, as Real Madrid staged comeback after comeback on their way to another European crown.
His performances were rewarded with the 2022 Ballon d’Or, the ultimate individual recognition for a player who had spent much of his career contributing to the success of others.
By the time he left Madrid in 2023, Benzema had won five Champions League titles, four LaLiga crowns and numerous other trophies, while establishing himself among the club’s greatest-ever goalscorers.
A new chapter in Saudi Arabia
Rather than ending his career in Europe, Benzema became one of the biggest names to join the rapidly expanding Saudi Pro League when he signed for Al Ittihad in 2023.
His arrival in Jeddah represented another landmark moment in the league’s transformation, bringing the reigning Ballon d’Or winner to Saudi football.
Benzema later moved to Al Hilal in February 2026, beginning what now appears destined to be the final club chapter of his career.
Since 2024, he has scored 48 goals in 76 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al Ittihad and Al Hilal, maintaining his scoring presence deep into his 30s.
His Al Hilal spell, however, lasted only six months.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Benzema rejected the option of being registered in Al Hilal’s squad for the AFC Champions League Elite before negotiations over his future intensified during the final days of August.
The discussions eventually produced a mutual termination agreement.
His departure also comes as Al Hilal reshape their attack. England international Ollie Watkins has joined from Aston Villa, while the Riyadh club has reportedly reached an agreement with Arsenal for Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli in a deal worth more than €65 million including add-ons.
One contract ends, another remains
Benzema’s departure from Al Hilal does not necessarily end his formal relationship with Saudi football.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, his direct contract with Al Hilal was worth $25 million annually, while a separate agreement funded through the Saudi Pro League’s player recruitment program is worth $23 million per year and runs through 2030.
That agreement relates to promotional roles involving Saudi football and associated events and, according to the report, remains in place for now despite the termination of his Al Hilal contract and the possibility of his retirement.
It creates an unusual prospect: Benzema could leave the pitch while retaining a role in the Saudi football project he became part of three years ago.
For now, no formal retirement announcement has been made.
But after rejecting Al Shabab and agreeing to end his brief stay with Al Hilal, all indications point toward a career spanning nearly two decades at the highest level reaching its final chapter.
From Lyon to Madrid, from Jeddah to Riyadh, Benzema’s journey has taken him from gifted academy graduate to Real Madrid icon, Ballon d’Or winner and one of the most recognizable faces of Saudi football’s new era.
If this is indeed the end, he leaves the game with little left to prove.
Source: Saudi Gazette