Benzema Tied to Saudi Pro League Until 2030: The €79M That Blocks Any Departure

Karim Benzema will not be leaving Saudi Arabia anytime soon — at least not if the numbers have any say in it. While local sources have mentioned tensions between the French striker and Al-Hilal, an ambassador contract signed directly with the Saudi Pro League, worth a total of €78.8 million, makes a departure to Europe or elsewhere virtually impossible this summer.

At 38 years old, Benzema has posted respectable statistics in an Al-Hilal shirt: 10 goals and 5 assists in 16 matches this season. His playing contract runs until June 2027, with €17.8 million still to be earned. But it is the institutional agreement concluded with the league itself that carries the most weight: approximately €19.7 million per year until 2030, a sum that would evaporate entirely if he left the Saudi championship.

According to information reported by Al-Riyadiyah journalist, Al-Hilal’s management is examining several scenarios to end the player’s contract prematurely, including a unilateral termination estimated at €22 million, which the club’s owner, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, would reportedly be willing to assume personally. However, the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat nuances this lead: any potential separation would be more likely to come through friendly negotiation than outright dismissal, involving a downward revision of contractual compensation.

Benzema himself has dismissed the rumours outright: “There is nothing. I am staying and continuing with the team.” A statement that, in light of the €79 million at stake, takes on very concrete resonance.

Even in the event of a complete split with Al-Hilal, the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner would have every reason to remain in the Saudi championship — possibly under the colours of another club — to preserve this considerable financial advantage. A return to Europe or an adventure in another league would represent a net loss that few players, even at the peak of their careers, could afford to ignore.