How much will Karim Benzema earn in Saudi Arabia after abandoning Real Madrid

Karim Benzema has been extra busy this week. The Frenchman attended the institutional farewell arranged for him by Real Madrid on Tuesday morning, and he was immediately whisked off to Saudi Arabia to sign his new contract with Al-Ittihad on the same day.

He clearly wasted no time to get the new phase of his career started, but there are still conflicting reports about exactly how much he will be making by joining the Saudi Pro League champions. But before that, let's recap how Benzema arrived at this moment.

Real Madrid extension ripped up

Throughout the duration of the 2022-23 season, things have been calm at the Santiago Bernabeu when it came to the star striker's contract. Even though his contract was due to expire this summer, it was always believed that the club would offer the Ballon d'Or winner an extension, which he would accept without much discussion.

However, just days before the season officially ended, news broke that a massive offer has arrived from Saudi Arabia. The approach was later revealed to have come from Al-Ittihad. On Sunday, Real Madrid confirmed that Benzema has made the decision to leave after 14 glorious seasons with the club.

Benzema's farewell was not a sad affair

In line with tradition, Real Madrid organised a farewell ceremony for Benzema, with all of the trophies he won with the club on display. Club president Florentino Perez read all of the Frenchman's achievements almost in a hurry, and expressed his affection and gratitude for the player. Benzema then took the stage to thank the club and say goodbye, but it was in stark contrast to the heart-wrenching scenes recently witnessed during the departures of the likes of Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and even Carlos Casemiro.

Benzema almost had a smirk on his face, and his teammates in attendance had a look of resignation on their faces as if showing that they understood the decision. Indeed, the sentiment was the same around the world, with most people unable to fathom the possibility of turning down an offer worth hundreds of millions of euros. The question is, exactly how much will Benzema really be earning at Al-Ittihad?

Salary plus World Cup deal

Most reports claim that Benzema agreed to a two-year deal, but posts from Al-Ittihad clearly show the year 2026. Initial reports from outlets such as Marca claimed that he will be earning 100 million euros per season, plus a bonus of around 20 million euros for his role as an ambassador in Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

If those figures are to be believed, he would be earning at least 220 million euros for two years, and potentially 320 million if he stays until 2026. This is a shocking leap from the 28 million gross salary he was earning at Real Madrid per year. Bear in mind as well that his salary from Al-Ittihad will be tax-free.

Interestingly, now that the deal has been confirmed, fresh reports have doubled Benzema's salary to a mindblowing €200 million (£172m/$213m) per season.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared the fresh figures, which makes more sense given the fact that Al-Ittihad has reportedly also signed N'Golo Kante for 100 million euros. It makes more sense that Benzema will be earning nearly double that amount, and almost the same as former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who now plays for rival club Al Nassr.

The reigning Saudi Pro League champions can certainly afford it, with the Saudi government believed to be heavily backing the current push to tempt Europe's biggest stars to head to the Middle East. Benzema will be competing for position with the league's current top scorer, Moroccan star Abderrazak Hamdallah.

However, he and Ronaldo won't be joined by Lionel Messi in Saudi Arabia, with the Argentine confirmed to have turned down an offer from Al Hilal to go to Inter Miami instead.