A swirl of reports from the Saudi Pro League has ignited one of the most intriguing transfer sagas in world football and now questions are being raised over whether Cristiano Ronaldo might be influencing the fate of Karim Benzema’s proposed move to Al Hilal.

According to multiple outlets, Benzema has pulled himself out of Al‑Ittihad’s recent matchday squads and is training separately, not due to injury but because of a contract dispute with his current club.

Sources say the offer on the table was widely viewed as disrespectful, with no base salary and remuneration almost entirely through image rights, prompting the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner to request exclusion from the team.

As talks continue between Al Hilal, Al‑Ittihad, the player’s representatives, and Saudi league executives, a separate development has added fuel to the fire: multiple reports suggest Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League fixture against Al Riyadh on February 2, 2026, not for physical reasons but reportedly because he is unhappy with Al Nassr’s lack of reinforcements and wider management under the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

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That discontent has led to speculation that Ronaldo’s influence and broader frustrations with the PIF’s handling of top players and rival clubs could be playing a role in the timing and approval of Benzema’s switch to Al Hilal.

While there’s no official confirmation that Ronaldo is blocking the deal, the timing of his absence and the stalled transfer have raised eyebrows in football circles.

For now, the Saudi Pro League and all parties remain in negotiations, and only when formal approval is granted will the fate of these blockbuster moves be known.

🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo’nun, Karim Benzema’nın Al-Hilal transferine müdahalesi nedeniyle Kanté Fenerbahçe’ye, En-Nesyri ise Al-Ittihad’a henüz imza atamadı. Kulüpler anlaşmaları tamamladı ve Suudi Pro Lig’e sundu; onay çıkmadığı için resmi imzalar beklemede!

— Yağız Sabuncuoğlu (@yagosabuncuoglu) February 2, 2026