How much does the former Real Madrid striker earn playing in the Saudi Pro League?
Karim Benzema is yet another European legend who made a move to the Saudi Pro League. After spending fourteen seasons with Real Madrid, Benzema called time on his Los Blancos career, moving to Al Ittihad in the summer of 2023.
The former Ballon d'Or winner is an elite No.9, having won numerous titles in the Spanish capital, becoming Madrid's main man after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018.
Now that both former Madrid stars play their football in Saudi Arabia, the popularity of the league has increased tenfold in recent times. It doesn't come as a surprise to know that the former Portugal star is the highest-paid player in the league currently, but how does Benzema fare in the wage bill? Let's find out!
GOAL delved into the numbers from Capology and found out!
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Karim Benzema's salary in numbers
Karim Benzema currently stands as the highest-paid player at Al Ittihad with an insane salary of £1,612,468 ($2,083,257) on a weekly basis. His annual salary scales up to £83 million ($108 m).
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages GBP
Weekly wages USD
Annual wages GBP
Annual wages USD
Karim Benzema
French
£1,612,468
$2,083,257
£83,848,311
$108,329,340
AdvertisementAFPTop earners at Al Ittihad
As we already saw, Benzema earns an incredible salary playing for Al Ittihad, making him the top earner at the club.
Following him is his compatriot N'Golo Kante. Despite being the second-top earner, Kante earns only a fraction compared to that of the former Madrid striker.
Meanwhile Moussa Diaby makes an appearance at number three, followed by the likes of Fabinho and Steven Bergwijn at fourth and fifth spot respectively.
Top 5 highest paid players at Al Ittihad
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages GBP
Weekly wages USD
Annual wages GBP
Annual wages USD
Karim Benzema
French
£1,612,468
$2,083,257
£83,848,311
$108,329,340
N'Golo Kante
French
£403,117
$520,814
£20,962,078
$27,082,355
Moussa Diaby
French
£246,869
$318,947
£12,837,176
$16,585,222
Fabinho
Brazilian
£225,745
$291,656
£11,738,764
$15,166,108
Steven Bergwijn
Dutch
£148,025
$191,243
£7,697,275
$9,944,633
Top earners in Saudi Pro League
It doesn't really come as a surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo leads the chart as the league's top earner. Following the superstar is his former Madrid strike partner Benzema, while former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez takes the third spot.
Finally, rounding off the top five are Senegalese internationals Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly, occupying the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Top 5 highest paid players in the Saudi Pro League
Player
Club
Weekly wages GBP
Weekly wages USD
Annual wages GBP
Annual wages USD
Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Nassr
£3,224,935
$4,166,513
£167,696,622
$216,658,460
Karim Benzema
Al Ittihad
£1,612,468
$2,083,57
£83,848,311
$108,329,340
Riyadh Mahrez
Al Ahli
£841,708
$1,087,460
£43,768,818
$56,547,915
Sadio Mane
Al Nassr
£644,987
$833,303
£433,539,324
$43,331,736
Kalidou Koulibaly
Al Hilal
£559,526
$722,890
£25,095,364
$37,590,281
Al-NassrHighest paid players in the world
The top earners in Saudi definitely earn insane sums of money in the league, but how do they fare in the highest-paid players across the world?
Well, it turns out that the top five of the Saudi Pro League are also the top earners across the footballing world, even leaving behind some of the best and oldest clubs from Europe. This cements the financial power of the Saudi League and the potential to become a top league in upcoming years.
Top 5 highest paid players in the world
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portuguese
£3,224,935
$4,166,513
£167,696,622
$216,658,680
Karim Benzema
French
£1,612,468
$2,083,257
£83,848,311
$108,329,340
Riyadh Mahrez
Algerian
£841,708
$1,087,460
43,768,818
$56,547,915
Sadio Mane
Senegalese
£644,987
$833,303
£33,539,324
$43,331,736
Kalidou Koulibaly
Senegalese
£559,526
$722,890
£29,095,364
$37,590,281
