Why is Benzema’s Al Hilal transfer linked to Ronaldo?

Al JazeeraCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffFebruary 3, 2026 at 10:45 AM

AI Summary

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On February 3, 2026, Karim Benzema's transfer from Al-Ittihad to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) became a major talking point. Al Hilal is the most successful club in Saudi Arabia and the current league leader. The move occurred on the same day Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from Al-Nassr's game against Al-Riyadh. Ronaldo's absence was reportedly due to his unhappiness with Al-Nassr's lack of squad improvements during the transfer window, as they aim to win the league title. Benzema's move to Al Hilal, coached by Simone Inzaghi, is seen as an ambitious one, strengthening the already formidable team. Al-Nassr is currently second in the SPL standings behind Al Hilal.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Jorge Jesus 30% Al Riyadh ×230% Simone Inzaghi 40% Manchester City 40% Saudi Arabia ×260% Al-Ittihad ×370% Al-Nassr ×570% Saudi Pro League ×580% Al Hilal ×680% Karim Benzema ×790% Cristiano Ronaldo ×690%

Keywords

saudi pro league 100% cristiano ronaldo 90% karim benzema 90% al hilal 80% transfer 70% al-nassr 70% football 60% league title 50% transfer window 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: -0.10

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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saudi pro league cristiano ronaldo karim benzema al hilal transfer al-nassr football league title transfer window

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