Karim Benzema terminates Al-Hilal contract as Saudi rejection sparks stunning retirement possibility

Karim Benzema is a free agent after parting ways with Al-Hilal with immediate effect. The question now is whether the 38-year-old ever plays again.

Fabrizio Romano broke the news that the Frenchman’s contract has been terminated. Benzema only joined Al-Hilal in January, six months after leaving Al-Ittihad, the club he moved to from Real Madrid back in 2023.

A decision on his future is expected soon, and retirement is firmly on the table.

‘Benzema will announce his decision about his future soon,’ Romano wrote. ‘Retirement and another Saudi club are the options. A return to Europe is not going to happen.’

Media personality Waleed Al-Farraj has since added fresh detail, claiming Benzema rejected both alternatives put in front of him.

‘Benzema was presented with several options, including a move to Al-Shabab or a return to Al-Ittihad, but he rejected both options, and when the decision came into his hands, he indicated that he was leaning towards retiring from football.’

Retirement may come with benefits beyond the game. Benzema has a contract as an ambassador for Saudi tourism, and promotes the kingdom’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

‘Retirement may be an option on the table for him to preserve these roles,’ Al-Farraj said.

The timing is telling. Benzema’s exit comes as Al-Hilal prepare to present England forward Ollie Watkins, who arrives from Aston Villa for around sixty million euros.

It is a stunning fall for a player who spent years among the best strikers on the planet. Benzema scored 354 goals for Real Madrid, won the Ballon d’Or and lifted the Champions League five times before heading to Saudi Arabia.

He stepped out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow after 2018 and became the main man at the Bernabeu, and his list of honours says everything about the level he reached.

Now, two clubs have been refused and Europe is not an option. If retirement is the call, it brings down the curtain on one of the most decorated strikers of his generation, with Saudi football losing one of its biggest names.

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