"More important is trophies" - Karim Benzema responds when asked if he can win Golden Boot ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the SPL
Karim Benzema has responded about his race against Cristiano Ronaldo for the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot. Benzema now has 18 goals from 26 league matches, with Ronaldo leading the charts with 23 goals from 27 appearances.
Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad have a much-anticipated face-off scheduled for May 7, when the former Real Madrid teammates will clash on the pitch. However, when asked whether he felt he could beat Ronaldo in the Golden Boot race, Benzema stated (via ESPN):
"I do not care about this, my friend. More important is trophies."
The French striker is rallying Al-Ittihad in their fight for the title, as his club currently sit at the top of the league with 68 points. Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr are eight points back in third place, putting the pressure on the title race and the Golden Boot.
Karim Benzema played a crucial part in an important 3-2 league win for his side against Al-Ettifaq, which enabled his team to take advantage of a rare slip by second-placed Al-Hilal. There are five games left to determine the champions of the Saudi Pro League, which will certainly hold Benzema's focus.
When Karim Benzema chose Ronaldo Nazario over Cristiano Ronaldo in GOAT debate
Back in February, Karim Benzema responded to Cristiano Ronaldo's proclamation that he is the greatest footballer of all time, choosing someone completely different. The French striker emphasized that, according to him, the best ever is not his former Real Madrid teammate but Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazario.
Ronaldo had recently ignited the debate when he dubbed himself "the most complete player that ever existed". He claimed that he should rank above the likes of Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, and Pele. Speaking to TNT Sports Brazil, Benzema offered a different perspective (via GOAL):
“I think everyone can say what they want. If he thinks he is the best in history, then he is. It depends, for me, for example, the best is Ronaldo from Brazil... I don't like to make comparisons between players, each one has their own story, he [Ronaldo] has his own and it's a very good one.”
Both Ballon d'Or winners now ply their trade in the Saudi Pro League, having left Europe since 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo was the biggest player to make the switch to Saudi Arabia, and a flurry of superstars followed, with Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, and others joining.
