Karim Benzema's Future: Saudi Arabia, America, or Retirement?
Karim Benzema is edging towards the Al-Hilal exit door with the clock ticking on the summer window and no clear destination in sight. His next move? Still a mystery. But the outline of his options is starting to sharpen.
The veteran France striker has three realistic paths in front of him. The strongest possibility keeps him in Saudi Arabia. Another takes him across the Atlantic to the United States. Europe, for now, is off the table.
Saudi stay on the table
Spanish outlet "AS" report that Benzema is seriously considering remaining in the Saudi Pro League. That could mean a return to Al-Ittihad, the club whose shirt he has already worn, or a switch to Al-Shabab in the coming weeks.
The 38-year-old only joined Al-Hilal in the last winter window. The move was billed as another marquee arrival for the Saudi project. Instead, his time there now looks close to an abrupt end, with the club’s hierarchy already in talks over terminating his contract before deadline day.
The pressure is building from all sides: club planning, market timing, and the player’s own desire to keep competing at a high level.
Retirement talk lingers, but doors stay open
Uncertainty clouds his next step, but Benzema is not ready to walk away from the game just yet. According to "AS", the Frenchman has no intention of retiring at this point.
"Marca", though, paint a slightly different picture, suggesting retirement has not been completely ruled out. That tension leaves every scenario alive: stay in Saudi, try a new adventure, or make the shock call to stop.
For now, he keeps training, keeps waiting, and keeps listening.
Europe shut down, America calling
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reports that Benzema has ruled out a return to European football for the moment. That stance effectively kills off the most romantic option on the table: a comeback to Lyon, the club where he first exploded onto the scene and which has been strongly linked with him in recent months.
With Europe closed, the alternative stands out clearly. A move to the American league has emerged as the main rival to a continued stay in Saudi Arabia, offering a fresh market, a different rhythm, and a new stage for one of the defining forwards of his generation.
Reports also continue to float the possibility of a spell in the Scottish league, another curveball in a market already full of surprises.
The window is closing. Benzema’s decision is coming. The only certainty is that, for now, one of modern football’s great No 9s is not ready to quietly fade away.
