French forward Karim Benzema made a spectacular debut for Al Hilal, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist in a 6-0 victory over Al Akhdoud in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday night. The 38-year-old striker, who recently transferred from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal on the final day of the winter transfer window, opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a backheel finish. He added two more goals in the second half before assisting Brazilian forward Malcom.

Benzema was substituted in the 71st minute by Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, but Al Hilal continued their dominance as Salem Al-Dawsari scored twice to complete the rout. The match marked a strong start for Benzema at his new club, which is also the former team of Neymar Jr. The Frenchman expressed his delight after the match, saying the team played well, scored many goals, and conceded none.

The emphatic win highlighted Benzema’s seamless adaptation to Al Hilal and raised expectations for his performance in the remainder of the season.