Al Ittihad star Karim Benzema has played with some of the finest soccer players during his illustrious career. Recently, the French striker revealed his dream XI of players on Al Ittihad’s social media channels. The big talking point was the exclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who boast a combined 13 Ballon d’Or.

The exclusion of Messi makes sense since Messi was his chief rival in La Liga. However, the absence of Cristiano has left many fans scratching their heads given their history as a powerhouse duo. Currently, they are set to face off in the SPL on December 26th, as Al Nassr takes on Al Ittihad. So who all has found their place in this list if not ‘CR7’ or ‘La Pulga’?

Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed in Karim Benzema’s Dream XI

Benzemas’s Dream XI features a heavy dose of Real Madrid players. Yet, the goalkeeping spot went to Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich, who revolutionized the ball-playing goalkeeper role. Real Madrid men Thibaut Courtois, Iker Casillas, and Keylor Navas were also omitted, and the center-back duo was Sergio Ramos and Pepe, the defensive stalwarts in the La-Decima campaign.

For full-backs, Benzema opted for Marcelo and Dani Alves, whose inclusion did raise a few eyebrows considering his Barcelona association. The central midfield pairing was Claude Makélélé and Paul Pogba. The absence of the legendary duo of Kroos and Modric is certainly noteworthy.

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The attacking midfield/number 10 spots consisted of 2 Ballon d’Or winners Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane. Benzema’s relationship with Zidane is well-documented and the striker has even admitted the legendary midfielder to be like family for him.

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In attack, Karim opted for himself and one of his idols, Ronaldo Nazario. Nazario has never played with Karim and his inclusion ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly puzzling. Especially given Benzema’s recent praise of Cristiano.

Benzema on Ronaldo’s role in the SPL

The Frenchman certainly feels Ronaldo is a game-changer for the league. He recently stated that Cristiano Ronaldo’s signing is crucial to the SPL since he will contribute immensely to soccer in the country. This proved to be true as CR7’s signing triggered a whole host of European superstars to move to the country including that of Benzema.

Moreover, Karim also added that the presence of Cristiano will raise the standard of matches. Considering how competitive the SPL has been this season, it seems Benzema was spot-on in his analysis.

What do you think of Benzema snubbing Cristiano Ronaldo in his dream XI? Tell us in the comments below.

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