Despite facing criticism from many, Karim Benzema made history not only in Real Madrid but also in world soccer. He played a key role in the historic Real Madrid squad that won three consecutive Champions League titles. After Cristiano Ronaldo made his statements, Benzema revealed who he considers to be the best soccer player in history. His response sparked controversy, as he chose not to mention Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
“I think everyone can say what they want. If he thinks he’s the best in history, then he is. There are many. For example, for me, (the best soccer player of all time) is the Ronaldo of Brazil, but Cristiano is what he is. I do not like to make comparisons between players. I think each one has his story and he (Cristiano) has his story. He is very good,” stated Karim Benzema on TNT Sports.
Karim Benzema spent many years playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, appearing in 342 games together. Cristiano is also the teammate with whom Benzema combined for the most goals, with 76. Despite their shared history, Karim recently stated that the best player in history is not Cristiano, but the legendary Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario. Another surprise was that Karim Benzema did not choose Lionel Messi as the best player in history.
Although Benzema did not choose Lionel Messi, he has publicly expressed his respect for the Argentine. Even when Messi was being criticized by PSG fans Karim Benzema came to his defense: “He (Messi) is one of the best players in the world. Messi just needs time to adapt at Paris Saint-Germain…Anyway, you can’t criticize a player like this. Anyone who criticizes Messi has no idea about soccer,” stated Benzema on Telefoot.
How Karim Benzema is performing in the Saudi Pro League?
Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema plays for a much more structured team. Al Ittihad’s sporting project focuses on building around a group of talented players rather than a single star.
As a result, Benzema is surrounded by quality teammates like Moussa Diaby, Fabinho, and N’Golo Kante, all of whom have experience in the Premier League. Additionally, he plays alongside other renowned players such as Houssem Aouar and Danilo Pereira.
This team structure has allowed Benzema to excel at Al Ittihad, the current solid leader of the Saudi Pro League. He is tied with Cristiano Ronaldo as the league’s top scorer with 16 goals. Thanks to his team’s strong performances, Benzema is now much closer to winning his first Saudi professional league title ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite his age, Karim continues to prove that he remains one of the best players in the league.