Benzema: Cristiano Has ‘Helped Elevate Football’ in KSA

Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema has praised fellow Saudi player Cristiano Ronaldo, saying he has helped 'elevate' football in the Kingdom. Benzema was officially unveiled as an Al Ittihad Club player on Thursday in a welcome ceremony played out in front of a packed stadium of fans at the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City (Jawhara) stadium in Jeddah.

After Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Al Nassr in Riyadh last season, Benzema will line up against the Portuguese superstar with whom he memorably co-created a strong attacking threat during Real Madrid's golden era.

On Thursday, after an incredible drone display reminiscent of the Al-Ittihad Club, Benzema addressed the crowd for the first time: "Walaykum Assalam! I want to express my gratitude and hope that, inshallah, we will do great things. I am going to do all in my power to elevate Al-Ittihad to the greatest level because they are a fantastic team, they have terrific fans, and they recently won the championship.

The French superstar joined the Saudi Pro League champions directly from European powerhouse Real Madrid, where his remarkable 14-season stint resulted in an amazing 24 trophies, including four La Liga, three Copa del Rey, and five UEFA Champions League crowns. He signed a three-year contract with the club.

“My family is very happy to be coming to Saudi Arabia. They have been waiting for a long time, I love this country, I’ve had the opportunity to play in Saudi Arabia a couple of times and have come to Saudi twice for Umrah. We’re all very excited to start this journey,” Benzema said.

Football fans around the Kingdom, including those who follow Al-Ittihad Club, are extremely excited about the high-profile signing. Upon landing in Jeddah on Wednesday evening at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Benzema was met by ecstatic supporters. On Thursday evening, tens of thousands of people gathered to the King Abdullah Sports City stadium to see their new hero.