Karim Benzema joined his former Real Madrid clubmate, Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League on a three-year deal with Al-Ittihad. Benzema is one of the recent high-profile soccer players who made a switch to the Middle East following the Portuguese player’s footsteps.
After Benzema’s remarkable 2021-22 campaign, the player gained interest from all over the soccer world. Furthermore, the player even won Ballon d’Or for his season’s achievements. However, his charm soon faded last season due to his injuries.
🚨🇸🇦 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 | Karim Benzema (35) signs for Al Ittihad until 2026. €200m salary per year.
Nuno Espirito Santo is the manager, Hélder Costa & Hegazy also play at the Saudi club. pic.twitter.com/PoVCTtjZMv
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 6, 2023
The player recently made a switch to the Saudi side. Karim Benzema revealed that his religion and desire to live in Saudi Arabia was the main reason why he made a switch. However, it is hard to ignore the player’s huge wage of approximately $217.6 million. The wage is double the amount that he received at Real Madrid.
On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo’s salary at Al-Nassr just about surpasses Benzema’s salary at Al-Ittihad. The Portuguese earn a salary of around $218 million. Therefore, the player’s monthly wage is around $45.5 million whereas Benzema’s wage is around $45.2 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo is still the highest-paid athlete in the world and in the League since his transfer from Manchester United. The player scored a total of 14 goals in his 16 appearances for Al-Nassr this season. However, he was unable to win any trophies in his first campaign for his new club.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid soccer player in Saudi Arabia
Ronaldo signed a record-breaking deal with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr which is worth nearly $218 million per year. He joined the club after his disastrous stint at Manchester United where he also had a fallout with the club manager Erik ten Hag. Manchester United and Ronaldo mutually terminated his contract and the player made a move to the Middle East.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the world’s highest-paid athlete after his move to Al-Nassr nearly doubled his annual salary, according to Forbes 💰 pic.twitter.com/wSQDCTXwdp
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 3, 2023
The player’s deal with his new club makes him the highest-paid athlete in the Saudi Pro League. He is also currently the highest-paid athlete in the world. As per reports, no one in the Saudi Pro League earns as much as the Portugal national team captain.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be joined by some of his former clubmates and club rivals next season. Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Kalidou Koulibaly are some of the players who will be playing in the Saudi Pro League next season.
Furthermore, he will also be joined by Hakim Ziyech at Al-Nassr next season. However, even with the addition of other high-profile soccer players, Ronaldo remains the highest-paid player in the Saudi League. Thus, this shows the player’s elite personality, which also matches his yearly wage.
