“I’m not only a player, I’m also an ambassador.” Benzema spoke about his mission in Saudi Arabia

The transfer of Karim Benzema to a club in Saudi Arabia has stunned the world no less than Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr or Lionel Messi's transfer to MLS.

The start of the Frenchman's career at Al-Ittihad can be considered quite successful. In the current season, he has played 24 matches for the Saudi team, scoring fifteen goals.

However, during an interview with GQ, the forward revealed that he considers his move to a Saudi Arabian club important not only from a footballing perspective. According to him, he arrived in the Middle East with the goal of elevating the local football league to the level of European ones.

"Being in Saudi Arabia is a new challenge that I enjoy. It's a long-term project in a Muslim country. Here, in Saudi Arabia, I am not only a footballer, but also an ambassador. I am here to attract great European players in the near future, even though there are already some in the Saudi league. Our task is to elevate it [the Saudi Professional League] to the level of European leagues.

Time will tell what happens next, but I will decide when my career ends. Ultimately, I would like to be remembered as someone who started from the bottom and rose to the top despite all the obstacles I faced. That's what I'm truly proud of."

It's worth noting that since late December, Benzema has been sidelined with injury, and there have been reports that the forward did not join the team for training camp previously.