“100% nothing would be offered” - Pundit makes bold claim on how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform instead of Karim Benzema at Al-Ittihad

Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad are struggling despite adding Karim Benzema to their squad, and an analyst believes even Cristiano Ronaldo would make no difference. The Tigers are in seventh place in the league this season and face an uphill struggle to finish among the best four teams.

Former teammates at Real Madrid and Ballon d'Or winners, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema now ply their trade in the Gulf nation. This season could not have gone any more differently for them as their respective sides have had starkly contrasting fortunes.

Al-Ittihad won the league last season with Ronaldo's Al-Nassr finishing in second place, but the champions have regressed this season. They have had a change of manager, with Marcelo Gallardo replacing Nuno Espirito Santo at the club, but have struggled.

Saudi football expert Muhammad Nour is of the opinion that even Cristiano Ronaldo would be unable to mitigate the issues faced by Al-Ittihad this season. He suggested that Karim Benzema has not had a disappointing campaign by any metric.

“If Cristiano Ronaldo came to Al Ittihad in the same position as Benzema, 100% nothing would be offered.”

Al-Ittihad have not been at their best this season, and their last match of 2023 saw them succumb to a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Al-Nassr at home. They were sent crashing out of the FIFA Club World Cup by African champions Al-Ahly earlier this month as well.

Ronaldo has enjoyed a great season at Al-Nassr, and is leading the goalscoring charts in the Saudi league. He has scored 20 goals and provided nine assists in only 18 league matches this season. Karim Benzema, on the other hand, has scored only nine goals for Al-Ittihad.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema among A-list players in Saudi

While the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2023 was groundbreaking, the addition of Karim Benzema this summer added to the glamour of the Saudi league. Both men played together at Real Madrid and each won the Ballon d'Or, the highest individual honour in football.

The Saudi Pro League houses a good number of top stars, including Neymar, Fabinho, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez. Many of them achieved great success playing in Europe and are now enjoying their football in the oil-rich country.

Some of the world's leading players and managers are currently working/playing in the Saudi league, increasing its significance globally. The league has been quite competitive this season after significant investments were made into it, and it makes for keen following.