In a shocking development at the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, press reports citing French journalist Santi Aouna have stated that French star Karim Benzema has informed Al-Ittihad that he will not participate in the upcoming match against Al-Fateh in the Saudi Professional League, scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday.

The reason for this refusal, according to sources, is his dissatisfaction with the offer made to him to renew his contract with the club, especially since his current contract expires at the end of the current season (summer 2026), and he is entitled to sign with any other club for free at the beginning of the summer transfer window.

Reports indicated that the decision was made by Benzema himself without prior agreement with the club's management, which caused tension between the French star and the club's management regarding the future of their relationship.

On the other hand, the club's management still insists that Benzema wishes to continue in Saudi Arabia and that there is a project to build the team around him, despite the current disagreements over financial terms and the conditions of the new contract.