Benzema Seeks Historic Milestone in Saudi Clasico Duel
20 February 2026
French striker Karim Benzema, the new Al Hilal forward, is chasing a historic milestone never seen before as he faces his former club Al Ittihad in the Clasico.
He will host his new side Al Hilal against his former club Al Ittihad on Saturday at Kingdom Arena, in the 23rd round of the Roshen Pro League.
Stage set for a historic clash
According to the Saudi Pro League, Benzema could become the first foreigner to score against both Al Hilal and Al Ittihad in Clasico, in the competition's history, if he makes his mark on Saturday.
The French forward has already scored 3 goals against Al Hilal for Al Ittihad across 4 Clasico matches in the Roshen Pro League.
If he scores at least one, he would be the first foreigner to score in Clasico between Al Hilal and Al Ittihad wearing the jerseys of both teams.
Two local players previously scored for both teams in Clasico: Mokhtar Fallatah and Saud Abdulhamid, who first scored for Al Ittihad and then did the same after moving to Al Hilal.
Saleh Al-Shehri may join them, having previously netted for Al Hilal in Clasico before moving to Al Ittihad in the summer of 2024, but he has yet to score.
Yet Saleh Al-Shehri may not achieve this number, due to a calf muscle injury that could rule him out of Saturday's match.
Punchline 1: If Benzema scores for both clubs in one game, history will need to upgrade its passport—dual citizenship for the ball.
Punchline 2: If the net can handle two different jerseys, the league might finally need a larger closet.
