Karim Benzema excludes Messi & Ronaldo from his dream XI

Karim Benzema played with Ronaldo at Real Madrid

Karim Benzema, a 35-year-old forward for Al-Ittihad, shared his ideal starting lineup with the Saudi Arabian club’s social media platforms. The former France international is listed on the lineup, but noticeably absent are former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo (38) and rival Lionel Messi (36).

Many people rank Messi and Ronaldo among the greatest players to have participated in the game; each player has eight Ballon d’Or victories, the latter five. A player has never won more than two. Both, though, fell short of making Benzema’s all-time starting lineup.

Considering the animosity from their stints at Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, Messi’s absence may not come as a complete surprise, but that didn’t stop him from selecting Dani Alves at right-back. That being said, it is shocking that Ronaldo, who played for Los Blancos for nine years (2009–2018), is not there.

Trending World Football Articles:

• Top four players with most goals in 2023
• Top six players with most assists in 2023
• Best goals scored in football in 2023: Ranked
• Top 10 best footballers of 2023: Ranked
• Best football matches of 2023: Ranked

Legends of Les Bleus, most notably Zinédine Zidane, are mixed in with Benzema’s starting lineup, including several former Real Madrid teammates, particularly in defence.

Benzema’s dream XI

Manuel Neuer; Dani Alves, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Claude Makélélé, Paul Pogba, Zinédine Zidane; Ronaldinho, Ronaldo (R9), Karim Benzema.

The Frenchman is adamant that Ronaldo will revolutionise the league. He previously said that the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo is essential to the SPL because he will have a significant impact on the game in the nation. This was demonstrated to be accurate when Benzema and several other European talents relocated to the nation as a result of CR7’s signing.

Additionally, Karim mentioned that having Cristiano will improve the calibre of games. It appears Benzema was correct in his analysis given how competitive the SPL has been this season.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.