Karim Benzema snubbed both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when naming the best player in the history of football.
Ronaldo and Messi, with 13 Ballon d'Ors between them, are regularly selected as the greatest to ever play the game.
But in a recent interview, Ronaldo was adamant that there has never been anyone on or above his level, claiming he is "the most complete player who has ever existed" and "the best player ever".
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The former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus superstar has always had the view that he is in his own league, explaining he is "always the best" in his mind in a 2015 interview with the BBC.
However, Ronaldo's former teammate Benzema disagrees with his comment and his own opinion on who is the best in history. The Frenchman became teammates with Ronaldo when they both signed for Real Madrid in 2009, forming a fine partnership.
Benzema played a selfless role to allow Ronaldo to be the star for a number of years but when he left for Juventus, the former Lyon man changed his game stepped up to the mark, with a 44-goal campaign in the 2021/22 double win seeing him deservedly claim a first Ballon d'Or.
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And it is a different Ronaldo who Benzema considered to be the best to ever do it.
"I think everyone can say what they want," Benzema, who followed in Ronaldo's footsteps in moving to the Saudi Pro League, told TNT Sports.
"If he thinks he is the best in history, then he is. It depends, for me, for example, the best is Ronaldo from Brazil."
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R9, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, is clearly an idol of Benzema's after he left out both Ronaldo and Messi from his dream XI to put himself up top with the Brazilian great.
Mourinho is on same page as Benzema
When Jose Mourinho was asked to name the best player he had ever seen, he acknowledged the incredible achievements from Ronaldo and Messi, but did not hesitate in singling out the former Inter, Barcelona and AC Milan striker.
In terms of pure talent, he claimed that "nobody surpasses" Ronaldo Nazario, who he believed would have earned even more plaudits had he not such ill fortune with injury.
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“Ronaldo, El Fenomeno," he told Live Score.
"Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have had longer careers, they have remained at the top every day for 15 years.
“However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo. When he was at Barcelona with Bobby Robson, I realised that he was the best player I’d ever seen take to the field.
“Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible.”
Topics: Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi
Josh Lawless