French striker of Algerian descent, Karim Benzema, was named Man of the Match (MoTM) on Thursday night after scoring a sensational hat-trick for Al-Hilal in their 6-0 mauling of Al-Okhdood in the Saudi Pro League.
In a game where the former Real Madrid forward was making his debut for Al-Hilal, he was unplayable and added an assist to his three goals, as he took home the match ball.
رسالة الأفضل في لقاء الليلة 🤳⭐️@Benzema 💙 pic.twitter.com/k2o3bmTIoY
— نادي الهلال السعودي (@Alhilal_FC) February 5, 2026
On the matchday, Benzema struck in the 31st, 60th and 64th minutes, racing his new team into a 3-0 lead and immediately showing why the club moved so quickly to sign him.
Al Hilal kept the momentum going, stretching the scoreline to 5-0 before adding a sixth in stoppage time to round off a statement victory.
Benzema’s blistering start comes less than 72 hours after completing a surprise move from Al Ittihad, a transfer that sparked huge debate across Saudi football.
The 2023 Ballon d’Or winner had played a key role in Ittihad’s league title last season, but has wasted no time winning over his new supporters in Riyadh. With Malcom and Salem Al Dawsari also on the scoresheet and heavily involved in the goals, Al Hilal’s attack looked fluid, hungry and ruthless.
