Karim Benzema left out Cristiano Ronaldo when naming his dream lineup | OneFootball

Perennial Champions League winners Real Madrid are among the best at harbouring the biggest and brightest talents in world football. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, Ferenc Puskás and even Santiago Bernabéu himself have enshrined their place in the club’s mythology. As has Karim Benzema. The French marksman, now 35, played 648 times for Los Blancos, notching 354 goals and a further 165 assists for his teammates.

After enjoying a 14-year stint brimming with goals, silverware and excitement, the talismanic centre forward opted to depart for the riches of Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023, with a view of seeing out his twilight years in the Middle East.

The seasoned former France international, who picked up 97 caps and scored 37 goals, has had the pleasure of gracing the turf with some of the very best in the business over his illustrious career, while his long list of opponents is frighteningly good, too. As such, tasking him with picking 11 players to form his dream team is, no doubt, onerous.

That said, he’s done just that. Al-Ittihad’s official X (formerly Twitter) account have released a clip of their striker running through his ‘dream team’, and there are some noteworthy omissions. GIVEMESPORT are here to give a rundown from his goalkeeper through to his two-man strike partnership – let’s get stuck in!

Goalkeeper

Manuel Neuer

Stood tall and firm between the posts in Benzema’s dream XI is Bayern Munich stalwart Manuel Neuer. An imposing figure for the Bavarians since he joined in 2011, the 37-year-old is recognised as one of the greatest goalkeepers of the modern era.

With two Champions League, 11 Bundesliga titles and many more honours to his name, the one-time World Cup winner reduced Benzema to scoring just one goal against him in 686 minutes of football between their 2011/12 Champions League tie and France’s Euro 2020 group stage contest against Germany.

Benzema’s scoring exploits were awe-inspiring throughout his illustrious Madrid career – but they were statistically no match for the towering presence of Neuer. The German was among the wave of goalkeepers who enjoyed deploying the ‘sweeper keeper’ role, while also hardly ever putting a glove wrong. A very solid choice here, Karim.

Defenders

Dani Alves, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo

A defence full to the brim of Barcelona and Real Madrid brilliance, with the former coming as a surprise given the two clubs' arch rivalry. Los Blancos’ decade-long formidable partnership between 2007 and 2017 form the beating heart of Benzema’s back line. In that time, the pair proved a concoction of talent, ill-temper, skill and tenacity with one objective in mind: winning.

The all-white colours of Real Madrid were central to their performances as, week upon week, the duo were a threatening presence, able to attack as well as they could defend. A total of three La Liga triumphs, two Copa del Rey wins and a trident of Champions League victories came with Ramos and Pepe strutting their stuff at the back – so who are we to judge Benzema’s picks?

The full-back positions ooze quality in a similar vein, as Benzema elects two of Brazil’s greatest players. Marcelo, who played alongside the Frenchman in the Spanish capital, is deployed in the left-back spot, while Blaugrana cult hero Dani Alves takes ownership of the right side of defence. With 184 Brazil appearances between them, the full-back duo were two of football’s most consistent footballers during their heyday and complete quite a successful defensive-minded roster.

Midfielders

Paul Pogba, Claude Makelele, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho

Forming the midfield is a trio of Benzema’s compatriots, from past and present, and one-time Ballon d’Or Ronaldinho. Paul Pogba, Claude Makelele and Zinedine Zidane are all present in Benzema’s engine room, with the latter joining Ronaldinho in the two advanced midfield spots.

Behind them, Benzema opted for the poise and workhorse energy of Pogba and Makelele. Pogba, formerly of Manchester United, is the epitome of an ‘on his day’ player, but it would be remiss to overlook his undeniable talent, while Makalele would provide the workhorse energy to allow the triumvirate of talent ahead of him to do their thing. Makalele, described by Joe Cole as ‘The Governor’, was so acute in his role that it was eventually named after him.

As alluded to, Zidane and Ronaldinho would be the orchestrators between the midfield and forwards. Need more be said? A large-statured man with feet akin to a ballerina, the Frenchman encapsulated elegance and poise when skipping past opposition. He was also extremely powerful and subject to the odd scorcher. Zidane had it all in his locker and, therefore, is a very worthy inclusion.

Linking up with Zidane just behind the two-striker duo up top is Ronaldinho. Despite not being a big lover of watching football, there are/were very few players who could emulate his talent on the pitch – he was, quite simply, flair personified. Able to leave defenders in the dust in a blink of the eye with a deft touch or a moment of magic, the Brazilian made many fans fall in love with the Beautiful Game – purely because of how simple he made it look.

Forwards

Ronaldo Nazario, Karim Benzema

Leading the line was the formidable partnership of Ronaldo Nazario – nicknamed R9 - and none other than himself. Despite enduring an injury-ridden career, Ronaldo's talent shone through and his rank as Brazil’s second-greatest footballer of all time attests to just that. The perfect cocktail of raw pace, potency and top-tier intelligence served as Ronaldo’s arsenal during his playing days and with two World Cups under his belt, it’s hard to argue with Benzema’s choice.

Benzema also backed himself to partner the Brazilian deity at the summit of his dream team. In his glory days, the Frenchman unlocked defences with ease with his quick thinking, sharp turn of pace and lethal finishing. While he may not be on the same level as some names that have missed out, you have to express admiration for his self-belief.

As mentioned earlier, Benzema has been in the game long enough to recognise the best – but, that said, not including Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo is a shock, especially the latter. The combination of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Benzema was enough to strike fear into the sturdiest of defences – but, perhaps surprisingly, there’s no space for Benzema’s former teammate here.