/ Jul 06, 2026
/ Jul 06, 2026

Benzema bids farewell to Real Madrid 

Published on

By

Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema said farewell to Real Madrid in a small, private ceremony closed to fans and media on Tuesday following a trophy-laden 14-year stay with the LaLiga club.

The French striker, 35, will leave as a free agent in the close season and is set to move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, signing a two-year deal estimated by media reports to be worth more than 100 million euros ($106.93 million).

There were no tears in a ceremony that lasted less than 20 minutes and in which only players, family and close friends were allowed to attend.

“I will never forget Real Madrid. It’s impossible, it’s the best club in history. But I think today is the time to leave and to get to know another story,” Benzema told the small audience at Real’s training facilities.

“It’s difficult to talk with so many feelings, but I wanted to thank Real Madrid and my team mates. It was a good path in my life. I have been lucky enough to fulfil my childhood dream.”

Having joined Real in 2009 from Olympique Lyonnais, Benzema became the spearhead of the club’s attack and their main goal-scoring threat after Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018.

Benzema scored 354 goals for Real to sit second on the club’s all-time scoring list behind Ronaldo.

He had his best season in the 2021-22 campaign when he scored 44 times in all competitions to lead the side to a record-extending 14th European title as well as the LaLiga crown.

His pivotal role earned him the Ballon d’Or award, making him the first French player to win the trophy since Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and the fifth Frenchman overall.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez praised Benzema for all he had done at the club.

“Karim, you have been an example of behaviour and professionalism in our club,” Perez said.

“You have earned the right to decide your destiny. A future that only belongs to you and we must respect it.”

You May Like

One thought on “Benzema bids farewell to Real Madrid 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Most Popular

Must Read

Femi Gbajabiamila amid controversy over the PFIPC fake agency scandal.

SGF office linked to PFIPC as fresh documents deepen fake agency scandal

Fresh documents have raised new questions over the Federal Government’s position on the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), following revelations that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation processed official correspondence linked to the agency months before it was publicly declared fictitious.   According to an exclusive report by Punch Newspapers, official records show that the SGF’s office received and acted on a request for office accommodation submitted in the name of the PFIPC in November 2024. The request was reportedly submitted by the council’s self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is currently facing criminal charges over allegations of forgery, impersonation and operating a non-existent government agency. Documents obtained by Saturday PUNCH showed that the request, dated November 7, 2024, was received by the SGF’s office on November 12 and later forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on November 21 for action. The correspondence, signed by Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office, Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, identified the PFIPC as one of three institutions seeking office accommodation from recovered Federal Government properties. In his request, Adeyemi described the PFIPC as a Federal Government investment promotion body tasked with attracting foreign direct investment, coordinating investment-related activities across ministries and positioning Nigeria as a preferred destination for investors. The latest development adds to ongoing controversy surrounding Adeyemi, who is accused of forging appointment documents allegedly bearing the signature of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila. The Federal Government has listed Gbajabiamila and 10 others as witnesses in the criminal case before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Prosecutors allege Adeyemi and two other suspects, currently at large, created and operated the PFIPC using forged presidential documents and official insignia to gain legitimacy. Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including accounts opened in the names of supposed government agencies, and held meetings with diplomats under the PFIPC banner. The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC never legally existed. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga recently described the agency as fictitious and defended the government’s position. However, the newly surfaced documents have intensified public scrutiny, with opposition parties, civil society groups and legal experts demanding an independent investigation into how the agency allegedly secured official recognition, staff approvals and budgetary allocations. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has called for an independent probe into allegations surrounding both Adeyemi and officials linked to the matter, including claims involving accounts allegedly opened with the Central Bank of Nigeria. The Presidency has also vowed to investigate internal collaborators who may have enabled Adeyemi’s activities across government institutions. Presidential aide Temitope Ajayi said security agencies, including the EFCC, DSS and police, had been tasked with uncovering the full extent of the alleged network. The controversy continues to generate questions about oversight failures within government institutions and how the alleged scheme operated for months before being exposed.
Read more

Editor's Pick

Trending News

Newsletter

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

You have been successfully Subscribed! Ops! Something went wrong, please try again.

© 2026 GongNews. All Rights Reserved.