Hilal hint at Benzema and Al-Dawsari stay as stars front new kit launch

Saudi giants Al Hilal have moved to cool mounting speculation over the futures of Karim Benzema and Salem Al-Dawsari by placing the pair at the heart of their new kit reveal for next season.

The Riyadh club on Thursday released a promotional video on its official X account unveiling a new white alternative strip it will wear in the 2026-27 campaign – prominently featuring both high-profile forwards whose departures had been widely reported as imminent.

Recent local reports claimed Al Hilal were looking to offload Al-Dawsari and Benzema before the start of the new season, with their current contracts entering their final year and other clubs said to be monitoring the situation.

The club did not directly address those rumours in its post, but the choice of players in the video has been widely interpreted as a clear indication that the pair remain in the team’s plans, at least for the coming campaign.

Benzema and Al-Dawsari front and centre

In the footage released on X, Al Hilal showcase their white change strip for 2026-27, modelled by several of the club’s leading names.

Salem Al-Dawsari and French striker Karim Benzema lead the line-up of stars, joined by Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves, Serbia’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, French full-back Theo Hernandez, Turkish defender Yusuf Akcicek and Senegal centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

Within Saudi football, kit launches are often read as signals about a club’s internal planning: players chosen as central figures in such campaigns are widely assumed to be staying on. However, observers also note that this is not a hard-and-fast rule, and there have been previous cases of featured players later leaving.

Even so, the inclusion of both Benzema and Al-Dawsari comes at a sensitive time, with speculation over their futures dominating discussion around the reigning Saudi Pro League champions’ transfer window.

Club legend Al-Dawsari coming off difficult season

Al-Dawsari is regarded as one of Al Hilal’s all-time greats, having spent around 15 years at the club and establishing himself as a symbol of its recent era of success.

Promoted to the first team in 2011, the winger has been a mainstay through domestic title wins and continental campaigns, and is also a key figure for the Saudi Arabia national side.

However, his influence waned last season under Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, with the 32-year-old criticised for a noticeable dip in form. That downturn fuelled talk that Al Hilal might look to cash in now rather than risk losing him for free when his contract expires.

The new kit campaign, in which Al-Dawsari is front and centre, will be seen by many supporters as a reassuring sign that the club are not yet ready to draw a line under his storied spell in Riyadh.

Injury-hit Benzema yet to fully ignite in Riyadh

Benzema, by contrast, is still at the start of his Al Hilal journey.

The former Real Madrid striker joined the club in the winter transfer window after terminating his deal with rivals Al Ittihad, in one of the most high-profile moves of the Saudi Pro League’s latest recruitment drive.

His first half-season, though, was disrupted by a series of injuries that severely restricted his impact. Benzema managed only 13 appearances for Al Hilal, though he still returned nine goals and five assists in that time, underlining his enduring quality when fit.

That combination of a sizeable salary, limited minutes and contract length made him a central figure in rumours that Al Hilal might seek to reshape their attacking options this summer.

By presenting Benzema in the 2026-27 strip, the club appear to be signalling confidence that the 36-year-old will remain and have the opportunity to deliver a full, uninterrupted campaign.

Transfer questions remain despite visual message

While the video strongly suggests Al Hilal intend to keep both stars involved, it does not amount to a formal commitment, and the transfer window is still open.

Clubs can and sometimes do feature players in marketing materials only to sanction their departures later in the same window if negotiations or strategic decisions change.

For now, though, Al Hilal’s latest move has shifted the narrative: instead of exit talk dominating, the focus has turned to how Benzema and Al-Dawsari might contribute on the pitch next season – and whether the club’s visual show of faith will be matched by long-term contractual decisions in the months ahead.