Cristiano Ronaldo was left “furious” after Karim Benzema’s shock transfer to Al Hilal.
According to Sports Illustrator, Al Hilal has officially signed a French footballer from Al-Ittihad on free transfer in the Saudi Pro League mid-season. The deal, which was delayed after Ronaldo’s objection, was announced on Monday, February 3, evening.
The Portuguese five-time Ballon d’Or award winner allegedly refused to play during Al Nassr vs Al Riyadh earlier on Monday in protest of the perceived lack of investment in his club as compared to Al Hilal.
Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad are all majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) that approved the mid-season transfer. However, this move left CR7 unhappy and “furious.”
As per reports, the 40-year-old has claimed Al Nassr is being overlooked by PIF, leaving the fans sceptical.
Notably, Ronaldo’s club spent €105 million on new players this summer, slightly more than Al Hilal's €101.3 million, which remained more active during the winter window.
Despite all the drama, Benzema expressed that he was happy after becoming part of a “great team.”
In a video posted by Al-Hilal on X, the 38-year-old said, “I'm happy to be part of a great team. I have a lot of ambition, and I will work [hard] and give everything on the pitch to help this team win trophies."
Notably, Benzema led Ittihad to a league-and-cup double last season and scored 54 goals in total for the Jeddah club since transferring in June 2023.
