“Four legendary players of our generation” - Karim Benzema shares post with Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and former Barcelona rival in frame
Legnedary Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has shared a post with Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona rivals Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the frame. The 36-year-old Al-Ittihad striker notably left the Santiago Bernabeu to continue playing football in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023.
The caption of the post, which Benzema shared on his Instagram Stories from the page Footygene, said:
“Four legendary players of our generation."
It is certainly difficult to argue with Karim Benzema's view, as the four players in the picture have scored over 2,000 goals combined in their careers. Benzema has 440 goals in his club career, with 37 goals for France.
Suarez has 493 club goals and 69 for Uruguay. Messi has 740 goals for his three clubs and 112 for Argentina. Ronaldo has the most, with the Portuguese legend racking up 767 goals in his club career and 133 goals for his country.
It is also worth noting that all the players in the picture, aside from Suarez, have won the Ballon d'Or. While Benzema has won it just once, Ronaldo has won the award five times, and Messi, an unprecedented eight.
Like Benzema, Lionel Messi left Europe in the summer of 2023, making the switch to the MLS to play for Inter Miami after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain ended.
Cristiano Ronaldo concluded his time in Europe after mutually terminating his Manchester United contract in November 2022. He moved to Saudi Arabia, where he currently plays for Al-Nassr, in January 2023.
Luis Suarez left Europe before the trio, playing his last match for Atletico Madrid in 2022 before returning to Uruguay in the summer of that year. He has since joined up with Messi at Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi equals Cristiano Ronaldo's international record
Lionel Messi has equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's international record of 10 hat-tricks for their respective countries. This came in Argentina's 6-0 win over Bolivia in their World Cup Qualifying clash on October 15 at the Estadio Mas Monumental.
The legendary playmaker scored thrice and provided two assists for the Albiceleste, turning back the years to showcase a vintage display. After the game, a delighted Messi said to the press (via talkSPORT):
"It's very nice to come here, to feel the affection of the people, it's exciting when they shout my name. We all enjoy this period that we're experiencing and the connection with the people. We love being here, playing in Argentina with all these people, and happy about all that and about the win too."
Lionel Messi's fans will hope he can surpass Cristiano Ronaldo's record in the coming months. The focus for the two legends, who have yet to retire from international football, will be the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in North America.