Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema found himself at the center of a heated debate after sharing a provocative post on Instagram following his team’s 2-1 win over Al-Nassr in the round of 16 of the Saudi King’s Cup.
The highly anticipated clash on 29 October featured two former Real Madrid stars, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, but ended with Benzema’s team triumphing despite being down to ten men from the 49th minute, following Ahmed Al Julaydan’s red card.
Benzema opened the scoring in the 15th minute, while Houssem Aouar sealed the victory before half-time. Ronaldo, however, played the full 90 minutes but failed to find the net, registering just one shot on target and drawing criticism for a lackluster performance.
Shortly after the match, Benzema took to Instagram to post a celebratory photo. The image showed him celebrating after the win, with Ronaldo appearing blurry in the background creating the impression that Benzema was celebrating directly in front of his old teammate.
Although Benzema did not mention Ronaldo by name, the timing and framing of the photo sparked strong reactions. Many fans interpreted the post as a deliberate jab at Ronaldo, especially considering Al-Nassr’s elimination from the tournament.
Some followers criticized the post as disrespectful: “This is out of line because Benzema shouldn’t celebrate like that,” one user wrote. Another added, “There’s no need to provoke Ronaldo after winning.”
On the other hand, Al-Ittihad supporters see it differently, considering it a bold statement: “This is a message for Ronaldo and Al-Nassr. The real king is back!”
Saudi Arabia’s media also weighed in, calling the assignment “unprofessional” for a player of Benzema’s caliber, especially one who won the Ballon d’Or. However, others defended him, claiming that he was simply celebrating a major victory after a difficult period for Al-Ittihad.
The incident further fueled the growing rivalry between Benzema and Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, adding another level of drama to their post-Europe careers. Whether intentional or not, Benzema’s post has ensured that the narrative surrounding this clash persists well beyond the final whistle.
Sources: Znews
