Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema will join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia after signing a three-year deal with Al-Ittihad, the Jeddah-based club confirmed on Tuesday.
"Benzema is here. A new tiger will roar. Welcome to Ittihad!," the club wrote on Twitter.
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 joined Madrid in 2009 from Ligue 1 side Lyon.
He 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.