Benzema: Ex Madrid Star Moves From Hero to Zero As He Nets His 1st Ever Own Goal in Saudi: Video

• Karim Benzema endured a wild outing for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League
• The former Real Madrid ace broke the game's deadlock before scoring an own goal
• It was his first-ever own goal in his career

Karim Benzema had a bizarre outing for Al-Ittihad following the return of club football after the October round of international matches came to a successful conclusion this week.

The Frenchman had a bittersweet moment during Al-Ittihad's away game against Al Taawoun at King Abdullah Stadium in the Saudi Pro League.

According to Daily Sports, Benzema initiated the scoring in the 22nd minute with his signature bullet header, elevating his tally in the Saudi top division to four goals. He jubilantly celebrated with arms outstretched.

However, the former Real Madrid star swiftly transitioned from hero to a less desirable status within four minutes when he inadvertently found the back of his own net.

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As a corner was delivered, the 35-year-old was marking Al Taawoun's Andrei Girotto at the near post. Despite the Brazilian missing the header, the ball struck Benzema and deflected into the net, leaving Marcelo Grohe with no opportunity to defend for Al-Ittihad.

Here is the video:

Worth noting, this marked the first own goal of the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner's nearly two-decade-long career, per Statman James.

The impact of Benzema's own goal proved costly as his team was held to a 1-1 draw against Al Taawoun, leaving Al-Ittihad in the third spot behind second-placed Al Taawoun and table-toppers Al Hilal.

Benzema reveals why he left Madrid for Saudi

Following a highly successful 14-year stint, Karim Benzema made the decision to depart from Real Madrid in June, opting to join Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ittihad.

As reported by Sports Brief, the seasoned striker recently shared the motivations behind his choice to depart from the club where he experienced the pinnacle of his career.

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Although reports indicated that the 35-year-old was originally poised to remain for another year, he ultimately elected to join Al-Ittihad, signing a two-year contract amounting to £172m per year.

Benzema rocks Saudi traditional attire

Earlier, Sports Brief also reported on Benzema and Neymar wearing traditional Saudi attire to celebrate the country's 93rd National Day.

Al-Hilal players donned the thobe (robe), shemagh (headscarf), and aqal (headband) to perform a traditional dance known as Ardha.

The special day, also known as Al-Yaom-ul-Watany, celebrates the unification of the Kingdom.