Karim Benzema (FRA), the star striker of Spanish professional soccer’s prestigious Real Madrid, will wear the colors of Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahly.

The club announced the signing of Benzema on its official website on Sunday. The club said the contract runs until 2026, but did not disclose a specific salary.

According to ESPN, “Benzema has been offered a two-year, 400 million euro ($556.2 million) deal by the club,” according to the American sports publication.

Benzema is the second big-name player to head to the Saudi league after Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nasr in January. Ronaldo’s salary is reportedly around €200 million ($279 million), similar to Benzema’s.

Benzema is a top striker who won the Ballon d’Or, men’s soccer’s most prestigious award, last year. He made his professional debut in 먹튀검증 2004 with Lyon in France before moving to Real Madrid in 2009 and has played exclusively for the club ever since. Last season, he was still going strong for Real Madrid, scoring 31 goals, including 19 in the regular season. The French international has also scored 37 goals in 97 caps for his country.

Benzema’s new club, Al Ittihad, is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second largest city and economic center. They are the current reigning champions, having won the league title in the 2022-23 season ahead of the Ronaldo-led Al-Nasr.

The team is coached by Nuno Espirito Santo (Portugal), who previously managed Tottenham in the English Premier League.

Ronaldo joined Alnasr in January for an estimated €200 million.

Saudi Arabia, which has been strategically expanding its professional soccer league in recent years, has been using its deep pockets to attract global star players such as Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) and Luka Modric (Real Madrid) in addition to Ronaldo and Benzema.