'Cristiano Ronaldo can say whatever - there's a better player than him and Lionel Messi'

Karim Benzema doesn't agree with Cristiano Ronaldo that he's the greatest player of all time - instead, he believes his namesake Ronaldo Nazario holds that accolade.

The Real Madrid legend played with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner for nine years in Spain, joining the club alongside him and AC Milan great Kaka in 2009. Despite witnessing the countless records the 40-year-old set during his sparkling time in La Liga, it wasn't enough to make him the best player ever, in Benzema's eyes.

Benzema, who left Spain to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in 2023, also overlooked Barcelona icon Lionel Messi when asked about Ronaldo's recent comments that he believes he's the greatest player to ever grace a football pitch.

"Everyone can say what they want. If he thinks he's the best in history, fine, then it's him," the 37-year-old said. "For me, for example, it's Ronaldo, the one from Brazil. But Cristiano is who he is. I don't like making comparisons between players; I believe each has their own story, and he has his, he's very good."

The Al-Nassr superstar caused outrage with his confident statement, citing his longevity at the top level and goal-scoring numbers as reasons behind his belief that he is the greatest. "I honestly haven't seen anyone better than me. You have to look at the numbers full stop," he said in an interview with Spanish outlet El Chiringuito.

"I believe I am the most complete player who has ever existed. It's me. I do everything in football. I play well in terms of heading the ball, I'm good at free-kicks, I'm good with my left foot, I'm quick, I'm strong, I jump. I am the best player ever, I believe that."

One player who took umbrage with Ronaldo's declaration was another of his former team-mates, Angel Di Maria. The Argentine is one of a few who played with both the Portuguese forward and Messi and shares a different opinion.

"He [Ronaldo] always made these kind of remarks," Di Maria told Argentine news outlet Infobae. "He always tried to be the best, but he was unfortunately born in a generation where there was another player [Messi] who made everything he touched turn to gold.

"The reality is demonstrated in the numbers. One player won eight Ballon d'Or awards [Messi] while the other won five [Ronaldo]. Another key difference is that one has lifted the World Cup [Messi]. There are many differences between the two players."

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