June 8 In just a few hours following the announcement of sales on Wednesday, Saudi champions Al-Ittihad sold more than 56,000 tickets for Karim Benzema’s presentation at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Al-Ittihad presentation: According to regional media, the French striker and Ballon d’Or winner on Tuesday agreed to a three-year, $165 million deal with the Saudi Pro League team.
Tickets for the former Real Madrid captain’s presentation on Thursday at the 62,000-seat arena, also known as “The Shining Jewel,” started at just nine riyals ($2.40).
Upon his arrival in the city on Wednesday night, a sizable group of fans wearing the club’s yellow and black colors greeted Benzema. They have arranged a news conference for Thursday, where he will personally conduct it and address the crowd during his introduction.
After winning the league title for the first time since 2009, Benzema, 35, was Al-Ittihad’s first acquisition; fellow countryman N’Golo Kante will soon likely join him from Chelsea.
By signing a rich contract with Al-Nassr in December, Cristiano Ronaldo set the standard for lucrative contracts in the Saudi Pro League.
Local media reports indicate that Saudi clubs are seeking other high-profile players like Sergio Busquets, Angel Di Maria, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Ramos in the upcoming months.
Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, reportedly received an official offer to sign with Al-Hilal last month. Still, the 35-year-old World Cup winner chose to sign with Inter Miami in the United States.