It’s no longer news that Real Madrid’s former captain Karim Benzema has joined Al Ittihad in the Saudi Professional League (SPL). The 35-year-old prolific striker moved to the Saudi Club just hours after his farewell speech.

Note that several reports suggest that the Frenchman joined on a two-year deal with an option to extend for another year. Well, this move has stirred mixed reactions online because of how attractive the deal is. However, this article will centre on how Karim Benzema’s move to Al Ittihad suggests Cristiano Ronaldo’s words that the “Saudi Professional League (SPL) could be one of the top 5 leagues” is right.

The reality is that many top players in their home prefer to remain in Europe at their prime age because of the level of competition, but all these could change in the future. Note that the league has been able to attract Ballon d’Or winners like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, and N’golo Kante linked with a potential move to SPL. This means that if the league continues to attract top professionals, it is only a matter of time before youngsters start moving to the league. So, with the right investment and structure, Saudi Arabia is on the right path to attracting top players, and this suggests that Cristiano Ronaldo’s words that SPL could be one of the top five leagues in the World are spot on as another big name (Karim Benzema) joins the league.