Benzema: 'I'll never be at Ronaldo's level'

FT Desk

• 22 Oct 2022 21:44 BST
• 3 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo may be enduring dire straits at Manchester United, but recent Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema says he'll never be at the same level as his former Real Madrid teammate.

Ronaldo was excluded from Man Utd's squad to face Chelsea on Saturday after refusing to come off the bench before storming out of Old Trafford during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

United held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw with Casemiro - a former Real teammate of Ronaldo's and Benzema's - heading home a 94th-minute equaliser after Jorginho's late penalty.

The defensive midfielder, who cost the Red Devils €80 million this summer, has already matched Ronaldo's Premier League haul this term, but Benzema still believes Ronaldo has something to offer at the very top.

"I'm not above Zizou [Zinedine Zidane] and Ronaldo; we're different," he said after winning the Ballon d'Or by the biggest voting margin since Ronaldo in 2016.

Benzema: 'I can't do what they did'

"They're role models and I can't do what they did on the pitch, but they help me try to do it. I'll never be at the level of either of them. They've won the Ball d'Or before and I only just did it, but it's difficult to reach their level."

It is an appraisal that will be music to Ronaldo's ears. This season has been the most difficult of his career, the Portuguese relegated to a bit-part role at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag even before their fall-outs became increasingly public.

Ronaldo will now almost certainly seek a way out of Man Utd in January, with a swap deal involving Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix now looking like one of the most likely possibilities, if not a reunification with fellow former United and Real player David Beckham at Inter Miami.

There is little chance of a Real return - president Florentino exclaimed "he's 38!" when asked about it in the summer, but Benzema's backing should give Atletico, Inter and whomever else a welcome reminder of Ronaldo's talent.