Winner of the Ballon d’Or After leaving Real Madrid, Karim Benzema has agreed to a three-year contract with Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad.

Benzema, 35, won 25 trophies in 14 years with Madrid, including five Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles, but the club agreed to let him depart a year early.

He finished Real Madrid with 354 goals, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who has 450 Real Madrid goals to his name, currently plays for another Saudi club, Al-Nassr.

“It’s a good league, and there are many good players,” Benzema added. “Cristiano Ronaldo is already there, a friend who shows Saudi Arabia is beginning to raise its game.” I’m here to win, just as I did in Europe.

“I’ve been fortunate to achieve incredible things in my career and to accomplish everything I can in Spain and Europe.” It now appears that the time has come for a new task and project.”

Nuno Espirito Santo, formerly of Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur, is the manager of Al-Ittihad.

Benzema joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2009 and scored with his final touch, netting a penalty in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao before being substituted.

Al-Ittihad was revealed as one of four prominent Saudi Arabian teams to be taken over by the country’s Public Investment Fund, which also owns Newcastle United, on Monday.

Another is Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, as are Al-Hilal, who have been heavily connected with PSG’s Lionel Messi this summer.