When Karim Benzema left Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 after an extraordinary fourteen years, a Champions League title as captain, and the Ballon d'Or in his trophy cabinet, he made a choice that surprised many: he chose Saudi Arabia and Al-Ittihad over the multiple European offers that were available to him. The financial terms — reportedly over €100 million per year in total remuneration — were the primary factor, but the lifestyle that Saudi Arabia has built for its international sporting assets has proved to be genuinely extraordinary.
The Riyadh Residence
Benzema's primary residence in Saudi Arabia is a villa in the diplomatic district of Riyadh — the same neighborhood that houses other high-profile international signings including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. These properties reflect the Saudi Football Federation's understanding that attracting global stars requires not just financial compensation but a lifestyle environment that meets their expectations for security, privacy, and luxury.
The villas allocated to top foreign players are fully staffed and serviced, typically including on-site chefs, drivers, security personnel, and domestic staff that ensure the athletes can focus entirely on football without the organizational demands of managing a large household independently. For Benzema, who has previously lived in the well-serviced environment of elite European football clubs, this represents a broadly comparable level of personal support.
Real Estate Investments: Building Beyond the Contract
Benzema has used his extraordinary Saudi earnings to build a real estate investment portfolio that extends well beyond his primary residence. Reports suggest he has invested in commercial and residential properties in Dubai — which offers more internationally established real estate investment infrastructure than Saudi Arabia — as well as maintaining property interests in France and Spain from his time at Real Madrid.
His investment approach reflects advice from financial advisors who specialize in athlete wealth management: using peak contract periods to build income-generating assets that will provide financial security long after the playing career ends. Real estate, with its combination of capital appreciation and rental income potential, is the most universally popular asset class among elite footballer investors.
The Culinary Passion
One of the less well-known dimensions of Benzema's lifestyle is his genuine passion for cuisine. He has spoken in interviews about his love of cooking, and during his Madrid years was known in the dressing room for hosting elaborate dinner parties. This passion has manifested in his post-Madrid life through involvement in restaurant ventures and an approach to nutrition that treats food as pleasure as well as performance fuel — a balance that the financial freedom of his Saudi contract has made easier to maintain.
Family at the Center
Throughout his career, Benzema has been notably private about his family life — more so than many of his high-profile contemporaries. His children, whose lives he has kept largely out of public view, are reported to have joined him in Riyadh, and his broader family — including siblings with whom he maintains close relationships — visit regularly. For a player who grew up in the Bron suburb of Lyon with a close-knit family, the centrality of family to his sense of identity has remained constant regardless of the financial and geographical distance that professional football has placed between him and his origins.
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