Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has insisted that he is not at the level of Cristiano Ronaldo after the striker won this year's Ballon d'Or award. Benzema's superb year in front of goal saw him net 15 goals in the Champions League and 27 in La Liga and the Frenchman has since continued his stellar form to score five goals in seven domestic appearances this campaign.
He was crowned winner of the Ballon d'Or this week, his first ever throughout the entirety of his career. Benzema has often been denied the recognition in this ceremony thanks to the form of Ronaldo and Messi.
Before this year, the pair had won 12 of the last 13 Ballon d'Ors to be awarded. Ronaldo himself won five during this stretch.
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However, when asked if he could now be compared to other Real greats like Zinedine Zidane and United's current forward, Benzema was quick to refute those suggestions. "I am not above Zizou and Ronaldo, we are different," the striker explained via the Mirror.
"They are role models and I cannot do what they did on the pitch, but they help me to try to do it. I will never be at the level of either of them. They have won the Ballon d'Or and I just did it, but it's difficult to reach their level."
It has not been the best of weeks for Ronaldo who was banished from the matchday squad for Saturday's trip to Chelsea after he left the bench to go down the tunnel before the full time whistle had been blown against Tottenham.
In a statement posted to Instagram after the decision had been made, Ronaldo claimed that the 'heat of the moment' had gotten the better of him in that instance.
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