JEDDAH: Karim Benzema grabbed the headlines on Friday but Al-Ittihad and Al-Taawoun shared the points with a 1-1 draw in this top of-the-table clash in the Roshn Saudi League.
The French striker guarantees goals wherever he goes and did just that in Buraidah, though perhaps not quite in the way that many expected as he netted for both teams.
Going into the game, the defending champions were fourth, two points behind Al-Taawoun in the standings and looking to bounce back from a blip in form that had seen a draw with Al-Fayha followed by a derby loss to Jeddah rivals Al-Ahli.
Ittihad took the lead midway through the first half.
It was made by Igor Coronado. The Brazilian was galloping down the right, had one look into a crowded penalty area and then picked out Benzema with a perfect cross and the current holder of the FIFA Ballon D’Or made it look easy — though it was far from it — to climb and head the ball home from close range for his fourth of the season in his eighth league appearance.
It was a welcome strike for Benzema as it was his first for more than a month, though injury has played a part, and also for Ittihad who had failed to find the net in their two previous league outings. Talk of a goal drought that was beginning to materialize has been put to bed.
After a bright start from Al-Taawoun, who would have gone top above Al-Hilal with victory as they had collected an impressive 22 points from the first nine games of the season, it quietened the fans but they were on their feet after 26 minutes.
There didn’t seem to be much danger when Alvaro Medran floated over a corner but there was Benzema, rising at the near post to head into his own net past the despairing dive of Marcelo Grohe.
The two goals reflected a finely balanced contest but the headlines very nearly went elsewhere as, on the stroke of half-time, Musa Barrow almost scored one of the goals of the season. The Gambian goal-getter was fully 35 meters from goal when he unleashed an unstoppable shot that beat Grohe but cannoned back off the crossbar. It would have been a spectacular strike and he was to hit the woodwork again in the second half.
After the restart, the game ebbed and flowed and both teams looked to turn one point into three. Brazilian goalkeepers Grohe and Mailson both played their part in ensuring that it ended all square.
It was a fitting scoreline and while it means that Ittihad have now not won in their past three league games, coach Nuno Santo should not be too disappointed at taking a point from a team that had won their previous eight league games at home. These days, a draw in Buraidah is a fine result indeed.
And the hosts have shown once again that they can go toe-to-toe with the big boys. After the 2-0 win at Al-Nassr early in the season, Taawoun coach Pericles Chamusca was disappointed to lose an exciting game to Al-Ahli 3-2. It remains the only loss so far in this campaign.
Last season the team were capable of beating any other in the league but a lack of consistency meant a fifth-place finish. At the moment, however, they are picking up regular points and increasingly look like a force to be reckoned with as does Karim Benzema — at both ends of the pitch.
Karim Benzema scores both goals as Al-Ittihad and Al-Taawoun share spoils in SPL clash
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Karim Benzema scores both goals as Al-Ittihad and Al-Taawoun share spoils in SPL clash

- The French striker guarantees goals wherever he goes and did just that in Buraidah
- Going into the game, the defending champions were fourth, two points behind Al-Taawoun in the standings
Al-Nassr working on renewing Ronaldo deal, says club chief

- Speculation over the 40-year-old Portuguese forward’s future intensified
- Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in back-to-back Saudi Pro League seasons
RIYADH: Al-Nassr are negotiating with Cristiano Ronaldo over a contract extension but face competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-times Ballon d’Or winner, the Saudi side’s sporting director Fernando Hierro said on Thursday.
Speculation over the 40-year-old Portuguese forward’s future intensified after Al-Nassr’s season-ending match at Al-Fateh on Monday, with Ronaldo posting on social media: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.”
“Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr runs until June 30. We will work to renew his contract so he can continue with us, and there are many clubs interested in signing him,” Hierro told a news conference.
Despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify for the Club World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last week that discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the June 14-July 13 tournament in the United States.
FIFA has created a special transfer window for clubs to sign players for the event, and while Wydad Casablanca had been linked with a move for Ronaldo a source close to the Moroccan side said last week they were not in talks to sign him.
Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in back-to-back Saudi Pro League seasons and Hierro described him as a trailblazer for Saudi football.
“Ronaldo’s presence from the beginning is a national project,” Hierro said.
“Cristiano has opened up soccer in this country to the world. It’s phenomenal that he had the courage to come here, stay here, and open up the Saudi Arabian league to the world.”
Saudi national football team prepare for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

- Herve Renard supervised the training, which was held at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium
- Defender Ali Majrashi returned to full training with the squad after recovering from injury
RIYADH: The Saudi national football team trained on Thursday evening at their preparatory camp in Al-Khobar, as part of the build-up for their crucial ninth and tenth rounds of the AFC qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
French coach Herve Renard supervised the training, which was held at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium, a media statement said.
The training session began with warm-up training followed by tactical exercises and a half-field game, before it concluded with stretching routines aimed at muscle recovery and injury prevention.
In a positive development, defender Ali Majrashi returned to full training with the squad after recovering from a recent injury. Muteb Al-Harbi and Mohammed Bakr continued their individual rehabilitation programs under the supervision of the medical team.
The Green Falcons will resume their preparation on Friday afternoon with a closed-door training match against the Jordanian national team, also scheduled to take place at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium.
‘Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah’ in King Cup final, says Laurent Blanc

- ‘Al-Qadsiah are a strong rival, and I know how dangerous they are,’ says French coach
- Michel Gonzalez expresses happiness to play in King Cup final against Al-Ittihad on Friday
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad head coach Laurent Blanc confirmed the team’s full readiness, predicting that Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah when they meet on Friday in the King Cup final at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah.
Blanc spoke to the press on Thursday ahead of the King Cup final, saying: “Al-Qadsiah are a strong rival, and I know how dangerous they are. Of course, they have ambitions to win the title. They have distinguished players, and they have speed, but my team are fully prepared for this match and will be ready to fight, enjoy and win.
“Al-Ittihad fans in Jeddah are important for the team. We must focus mentally.
“I am proud of the players after they had an exceptional season, and tomorrow our team will be ready to fight for victory. I have 22 players ready for the match, I know my team well, and I am happy with the players’ readiness.”
His countryman Karim Benzema, the captain of Al-Ittihad, explained that Al-Qadsiah have good players and a good coach, but playing the match in Jeddah will be in their favor.
He said: “Al-Qadsiah have a good coach and players, but we have full confidence in tomorrow’s match. As everyone knows, finals are won, not played. Today, we have a final training session in preparation for the final. This season, we were able to win against all teams, and tomorrow we have the home advantage and the fans.
“So, it’s job done in the Saudi Pro League, fantastic, and we’re happy to win the title. But tomorrow is a different game, a final, and we want to win at any cost.”
On the other side, Al-Qadsiah’s head coach, Michel Gonzalez, expressed his happiness to play in the King Cup final against Al-Ittihad, on Friday, at the end of the sports season.
“I am very happy with what we have achieved by reaching this great final, thanks to the players’ efforts,” Gonzalez said on Thursday during a press conference in Jeddah.
“We were able to secure an advanced position in the Saudi Pro League, in addition to qualifying for the final match of the King Cup.
“We had a real and strong desire to perform well since the beginning of the season, and all the club’s fans are happy with what the team have achieved. Everyone knows that we have performed at a high level this season … On the final night, we will face a very strong team, which recently won the Saudi Pro League.
“I promise the fans to do everything we can to beat Al-Ittihad for the first time this season and win the Cup title.”
Al-Qadsiah’s defender Nacho Fernandez expressed his confidence in his team’s ability to win the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup title against Al-Ittihad in the final match.
He said: “We are happy to be here after the great effort we put in this season. We came to compete and give our best. I like the quality of these matches because they are finals and we have respect for the opponent, the league champions.”
Benzema named Saudi Pro League’s Player of the Season after Al-Ittihad title triumph

- Salem Al-Dawsari named Best Saudi Player, Cristiano Ronaldo retains the Golden Boot as competition’s top scorer
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema was declared the winner of 2024-2025 Saudi Pro League’s Player of the Season award after the season’s conclusion on Monday.
According to the league's official X account on Wednesday, the French forward claimed the award after scoring 21 goals and providing nine assists during the Jeddah club’s title-winning campaign.
The award for Best Saudi Player went to Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari who enjoyed the most productive season of his career, scoring 15 goals and making 15 assists as his team finished second in the league.
Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Boot award for the second consecutive season after topping the league’s scorers list with 25 goals.
Al-Ittihad’s French coach Laurent Blanc took the Best Coach award after leading his team to the league title with two rounds remaining.
The Young Player of the Year award went to Musab Al-Juwair, the 21-year-old Al-Shabab team midfielder, who impressed throughout the season with 15 goal contributions (five goals, 10 assists) in 31 matches. Al-Ettifaq’s Marek Rodak collected the Goalkeeper of the Season award after an exceptional season.
The winners of the Saudi Pro League awards are selected through a vote in which coaches and team captains each make up 40 percent, sports media professionals 15 percent, and fans five percent.
Al-Ittihad fans attain record-breaking attendance for Roshn Saudi League season

- Al-Ahli fans came in second with 354,019 attendees
- This year’s champions had their fans passing the half-a-million attendance mark
RIYADH: Al-Ittihad supporters have emerged as the most dedicated fans throughout the Roshn Saudi League 2024/2025 season with a total number of 594,326 attendees.
Al-Ahli fans came in second with 354,019 attendees, according to official data released on Wednesday via Saudi Pro League’s Arabic handle on X.
This year’s champions, Al-Ittihad, were the only club where fans passed the half-a-million attendance mark, out of a total number of 2.5 million supporters who attended the whole RSL.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal secured third place with 302,028 attendees while Al-Nassr ranked fourth with a total of 277,821attendees.
In a notable rise, newly promoted Al-Qadsiah, returning from the Yelo League (First Division), claimed fifth spot with 168,331 fans.
Rounding out the list were Al-Fateh in sixth, followed by Al-Ettifaq, Al-Shabab, Al-Taawoun, Damac, Al-Khaleej, Al-Raed, Al-Wehda, Al-Kholood, Al-Orobah, Al-Riyadh, Al-Okhdood and Al-Fayha.