Karim Benzema is reported to have sent a message to Cristiano Ronaldo immediately after completing his transfer from Al-Ittihad to Saudi Arabia’s major rivals, Al-Hilal.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s highest-paid player at Al-Nassr, reacted angrily to the move last week, even boycotting two matches of his team.
The 41-year-old Portuguese star is believed to be unhappy with what he sees as preferential treatment given by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to Al-Hilal compared to other clubs.
A joke that did not go down well with Ronaldo
Benzema and Ronaldo shared nine extremely successful years at Real Madrid, where the Frenchman often accepted a supporting role to allow the Portuguese star to shine. Together, they formed one of the most feared partnerships in modern football history.
According to The Telegraph’s chief football writer Sam Wallace, Benzema sent Ronaldo an ironic message in which he “jokingly” wrote that he had not only received a pay rise, but would also win the league title again.
Wallace adds that, while it is not known for certain, a “lol” at the end of the message would have been expected — but regardless, the message appears to have deeply affected Ronaldo.
Dream debut for Benzema at Al-Hilal
Despite the controversy, Benzema completed his move to Al-Hilal on February 2 and just days later enjoyed a spectacular debut, scoring a hat-trick in a convincing 6–0 victory over Al-Okhdood.
“I’m happy. I played well, the team played well, we kept a clean sheet and scored many goals.
“Thank you to the fans. They give us everything, and when I’m on the pitch, I try to give everything back with my maximum,” Benzema said after the match.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo, despite having just celebrated his 41st birthday, remains as competitive as ever. The fact that he has yet to win the Saudi Pro League title since joining Al-Nassr in 2023 appears to be bothering him greatly — and Benzema’s move to the title favourites has only increased his frustration.
