'A new tiger will roar': Saudi champions Al Ittihad sign Karim Benzema

Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema has joined Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia after signing a three-year deal with Al Ittihad, the Jeddah-based club has confirmed.

"Benzema is here. A new tiger will roar. Welcome to Ittihad!," the club wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

Benzema will join his former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo in the Gulf kingdom after the five-time world player of the year moved to Al Nassr from Manchester United following last year's World Cup.

The announcement regarding Benzema comes days after Real Madrid said that the 35-year-old Benzema was leaving the club after 14 seasons, the day after coach Carlo Ancelotti had insisted there was "no doubt" Benzema's future was in the Spanish capital.

Benzema made 648 appearances for Madrid and is second on Real's all-time goalscoring list with 354 — only Ronaldo has more.

He has lifted five Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey with Madrid.

But after a stellar 2021-22 season, when he led Real to Champions League glory and was rewarded with the Ballon d'Or, he was troubled by injuries in the just-completed season and had to miss France's World Cup campaign in Qatar last year with a thigh problem.

Benzema held a goodbye ceremony at Real's training ground on Tuesday.

"It hurts me, because I had a dream in my head — to sign for Madrid, and finish at Madrid," he told an audience of his teammates and club officials.

"But sometimes life gives you other opportunities," he added.

Saudi Arabia has drawn up a list of more than 10 players who have won either the Champions League or the World Cup that it wants to lure to its league, a source close to the negotiations has told the AFP news agency.

The list includes Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric, Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and his France teammate N'Golo Kante.

Messi to join Saudi league?

The world's biggest oil producer has ambitions to host the World Cup in 2030 or 2034 and is betting on sport to help revamp its austere image.

Last week, Ronaldo said he hoped that other big-name players would follow him to the league.

Lionel Messi, who is leaving Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons, has also been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Senior officials from another Saudi Arabian club, Al Hilal, have flown to France to try and seal a deal for Messi after the 35-year-old Argentinian played his last game for PSG at the weekend, two sources with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Sunday.

The Saudi delegation plans to meet Messi's father and agent, Jorge, with the aim of completing the signing as soon as possible.

Benzema, 35, joined Real Madrid in 2009 and played with the club for 14 seasons, helping them win 25 titles, tied with Madrid’s former left-back Marcelo.

Al Ittihad last month clinched the Saudi Pro League title for the first time since 2009.