Ronaldo vs Benzema: A Night to Prove Who’s the Best!
Cristiano Ronaldo is highly motivated to showcase his abilities once again against Al-Ittihad’s captain Karim Benzema after the recent disagreements between them.
After nine years of playing together at Santiago Bernabéu with Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema will face each other again tomorrow night—a matchup that has become a recurring feature since their move to the Saudi Pro League.
The Benzema-Ronaldo Feud
This will be the first match between Ronaldo and Benzema since the crisis that arose between them last February.
The conflict began when Ronaldo claimed to be the greatest footballer of all time, and Benzema responded by disagreeing, stating he preferred Ronaldo Nazário. Shortly after, Ronaldo claimed that Kylian Mbappé was a better striker than Benzema.
These statements sparked widespread controversy, with Spanish newspaper Marca speculating about a rift between the two stars. The report suggested that Benzema unfollowed Ronaldo on Instagram but later refollowed him.
Although these events happened over two months ago, Ronaldo has not forgotten, as he is known for his relentless desire to prove his critics wrong.
No one can forget the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League Round of 16, when Diego Simeone led Atlético Madrid to a 2-0 first-leg victory over Juventus and provoked the Bianconeri fans with controversial gestures. Ronaldo did not let it slide and responded with a hat-trick in the second leg, securing a 3-0 win and mimicking Simeone’s celebration.
Tomorrow night, Ronaldo can also seek revenge by outperforming Benzema in their personal rivalry for individual accolades in the Saudi Pro League this season.
The Portuguese star currently leads the league’s scoring charts with a five-goal advantage over his French counterpart.
However, Benzema still leads in another battle—goal contributions. He has been involved in 27 goals so far, while Ronaldo has contributed to 26.
Ronaldo must score at least once against Al-Ittihad to level the playing field, hoping his teammates can prevent Benzema from adding to his tally.
So far, Ronaldo and Benzema have faced each other seven times in various competitions, with Ronaldo winning twice, Benzema winning three times, and one match ending in a draw.
