Just arrived at Al Hilal, Benzema immediately taunts Ronaldo

Karim Benzema is said to have “irritated” Cristiano Ronaldo following his move to Al Hilal, stirring behind-the-scenes friction in the Saudi Pro League and exposing the real goals and priorities of the Portuguese icon.

Karim Benzema reportedly teased his former Real Madrid teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo, by suggesting he would secure another Saudi Pro League title after completing his transfer deal to Al Hilal, a move that reportedly enraged the Al Nassr captain.

Ronaldo views Al Hilal’s signing of Benzema from Al Ittihad as the latest example of unfair favoritism by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns all three clubs, including Al Ahli. While the league leaders invested heavily with €70.8 million (USD 84.1 million) in the January transfer window, Ronaldo’s Al Nassr only added one player, 26-year-old Saudi striker Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

Seen as a protest against the club’s silence in the transfer market, Ronaldo did not play in Al Nassr’s first two matches of February, even though the team still won both games. In contrast, Benzema made an immediate impact by scoring a hat-trick in his debut for Al Hilal.

According to The Telegraph, before taking home the match ball after his brilliant performance against Al Okhdood, the French Ballon d’Or winner proactively reached out to his former teammate. Benzema reportedly “joked” in a message to Ronaldo that his winter transfer would bring another domestic title along with a salary increase.

Last season, Ronaldo’s Al Nassr lost the Saudi Pro League title race to Benzema’s Al Ittihad. This season, Al Nassr is also trailing behind Benzema’s Al Hilal at the top of the table. Although sources emphasize Ronaldo’s “anger” is not directly aimed at Benzema, being reminded of past defeats is certainly not easy for him to accept.

Looking ahead, Al Nassr will travel to Turkmenistan to face Arkadag midweek in the AFC Champions League Two, a tournament regarded as Asia’s equivalent of the Europa League. Ronaldo was present at training before the midweek trip, but whether he will play remains uncertain.

Everything at Al Nassr revolves around Ronaldo. Coach Jorge Jesus reportedly returned to Saudi Arabia following advice from his compatriot, while sporting director Simão Coutinho and CEO José Semedo are longtime friends of Ronaldo from Sporting CP’s youth system. Removing the “central star” from Saudi football’s “solar system” is bound to cause significant issues.

At 41 years old and becoming a burden for any club still aspiring to compete near the elite level, Ronaldo’s time at the top is almost over. According to Opta’s statistical strength rankings, Al Nassr currently matches the quality of Coventry City and Middlesbrough, the two leaders of the English Championship (second tier).