On Thursday, Frenchman Karim Benzema led his team, Al Hilal, to victory over its host, Al Ukhdood, 6-0, in his first match with the team, in the 21st round of the Saudi Football League. The former French international grabbed the spotlight in his first appearance for Al Hilal by scoring a hat-trick in the 31st, 60th and 64th minutes of the match.
Published on: 02/06/2026 - 02:02
Frenchman Karim Benzema made an ideal start with Al Hilal, after he led his team to victory over its host, Al-Akhdood, 6-0, on Thursday, at Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Najran, in the 21st round of the Saudi Football League.
The former French international began his career with Al Hilal by scoring a hat-trick in the 31st, 60th and 64th minutes, while Salem Al Dosari scored two goals (74 and 90 + 2), and the Brazilian Malcolm added the other goal (80).
This hat-trick is Benzema's sixth since his move to the Saudi League from Real Madrid in 2023.
Read also: French star Benzema moves to Al-Hilal Saudi Arabia and turns the page on his experience with Al-Ittihad
The start was clear from Al Hilal, as it had an early opportunity after Salem Al Dosari fired a powerful shot that was brilliantly blocked by Brazilian goalkeeper Samuel Lima (11).
Once again, Al-Dosari tried to score via a scissor from inside the penalty area (13) with a powerful shot that passed just over the crossbar (29).
The lead goal for Al Hilal came as a result of this pressure, when Benzema took advantage of a ball that Lima did not handle well, with the heel into the net (31).
Before the end of the first half, a valuable opportunity was lost to strengthen the score when Frenchman Theo Hernandez advanced inside the area and shot a powerful ball near the post (38).
At the beginning of the second half, Al-Akhdood had a dangerous opportunity through Khaled Al-Lazzam, but his shot passed close to the post (51).
From an organized attack, Benzema strengthened Al Hilal’s lead when he shot a direct ball from inside the area that landed in the goal (60).
Al Hilal's offensive attempts continued, as Lima saved his goal from a third goal by blocking a strong shot from Al-Dosari and turning it into a corner (63), but Benzema returned a minute later to complete his hat-trick brilliance with a cross-ball strike that went into the net (64).
Malcolm benefited from a defensive mistake by Al-Akhdooq and scored the fourth goal for Al-Hilal (72).
In the final minutes, Lima continued his efforts to block Al Hilal's shots, and blocked a dangerous attempt from Serbian Sergei Savic (83).
On the other side of the field, Moroccan Yassine Bounou, Al Hilal’s goalkeeper, stood out (87).
During stoppage time, Bono continued his brilliance by saving a dangerous header, before Salem Al-Dossari concluded the goal festival with the sixth after a solo run that finished with the ball into the net from the left side of goalkeeper Lima.
France 24/AFP
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