Benzema hails Ronaldo Nazário, rekindling Cristiano Ronaldo debate | OneFootball

Al-Hilal striker Karim Benzema has reignited the long-running Cristiano Ronaldo debate by naming Ronaldo Nazário as the greatest centre-forward.

“Ronaldo was my biggest inspiration in football; he was always the best. I don’t think there’s another striker like him in my eyes,” he told Brazilian channel Canal Goat after Al-Hilal’s Roshen League meeting with Al-Khulood.

“I’m a striker too, and as I said, there’s no one like him. Everyone knows he’s my favourite player, and for me, he’s still the best.”

The remarks revived a sore point from last season, when Cristiano said he was the best in history. After Al-Ittihad beat Al-Hilal 4-1, Benzema replied that everyone could say what they liked, that he preferred Ronaldo Nazário, and that he does not like comparing players.

Benzema later reposted an old photo of himself in Ronaldo’s shirt on Instagram, which many took as another dig at Cristiano.

On Thursday he struck a hat-trick in Al-Hilal’s 6-0 win over Al-Khulood in Round 29, his second for the club and eight goals in seven outings for the Leaders of Asia. It was the 20th hat-trick of his career and his seventh in Saudi Arabia, five for Al-Ittihad and two for Al-Hilal.

Source: Goal.com