"Photos are for Instagram or Twitter" - Karim Benzema says he doesn't 'need to take photos' with Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema has explained why he was not pictured with Cristiano Ronaldo when the Al-Nassr superstar attended Los Blancos' training session.

Cristiano Ronaldo has begun a new journey in Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Nassr on a free transfer last month. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, led by Karim Benzema, is also in the country for the Supercopa de Espana.

With Los Blancos in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo paid them a visit ahead of the team's Supercopa de Espana final against Barcelona on Sunday, January 15. He met several players, including Rodrygo, who was filmed shivering out of excitement.

😬 Cuando conoces a tu ídolo...
🤝 @RodrygoGoes
🤝 @edermilitao
🤝 @vinijr
🤝 @Cristiano
#RealFootball https://t.co/O8t82HaZXv

Benzema, though, was not spotted anywhere near the Portuguese icon in the videos that emerged online. This has led to speculation about the two former Real Madrid teammates not being on the same page.

However, the Frenchman has insisted that he is still friends with Ronaldo, quashing talk of a rift between the two. He explained that he could not talk to the 37-year-old as he was in training, but stressed that he hopes to have a chat with him on Sunday. He said [via GOAL]:

"We don't need to take photos to say we're friends, the photos are for Instagram or Twitter, that's another world. We didn't have time to greet each other because I was training and immediately he also went to train. I hope to see him tomorrow [Sunday; ed.] at the stadium and be able to talk to him for a while."

🎙| Benzema: "No photo with Cristiano Ronaldo? We don't need pics to show we are friends. We didn't talk or see each other because he was there to training."

While Real Madrid will return to Spain after their match against Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo is still waiting to make his debut for Al-Nassr. He has so far been unable to play for the club as he was serving a suspension for smashing an Everton fan's phone as a Manchester United player last April.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is now expected to make his bow for Al-Aalami against Ettifaq on January 22. He is also likely to feature in a friendly between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and an All-Star XI, consisting of players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.

Cristiano Ronaldo played 342 matches with Benzema at Real Madrid

Spanish giants Real Madrid signed both Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema in the summer of 2009. The forwards went on to play 342 matches together, combining to score 76 goals in the process.

Before Ronaldo left the club in 2018, they helped Los Blancos win a total of 16 trophies, including four UEFA Champions League titles. While the Portuguese has since gone on to play for Juventus, Manchester United, and now Al-Nassr, Benzema remains at the club.