In the history of Real Madrid, no one ranks above these two in goal-scoring. One stands at the top with 450 goals, while the other follows with 354. Together, during their nine years as teammates at Santiago Bernabéu, they contributed a staggering 804 goals and claimed 16 trophies. Across 342 matches in Real’s colors, the pair produced 76 goals from their attacking partnership. After Gareth Bale joined them in 2013, the trio formed the fearsome “BBC” attack that dominated Europe. Beyond the stats, though, there was always a distinct dynamic:
If Ronaldo was the “Batman” of Real Madrid, Benzema played the role of his trusted “Robin.” While Ronaldo shone as the goal-scoring hero, Benzema often took on the supporting role, creating chances for the Portuguese star. But why revisit these memories now?
Last night at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, those nostalgic moments resurfaced as the two legends faced off in a Saudi Pro League clash. Representing rival clubs Al Ittihad and Al Nassr, the former teammates put aside their shared history to lead their teams to victory. This time, however, it was “Robin”—Benzema—who emerged victorious, as Al Ittihad defeated Al Nassr 2–1. Both Ronaldo and Benzema scored within minutes of each other, between the 55th and 57th minutes, but it was a last-gasp goal by Dutch winger Steven Berghuis in added time that secured the win for Al Ittihad.
The loss dealt a blow to Al Nassr’s title hopes. They now sit fourth in the league table with 25 points from 13 matches, trailing leaders Al Ittihad by 11 points. Al Hilal, Neymar’s club, are second with 31 points from 12 matches. Despite the setback, Ronaldo took to X (formerly Twitter), assuring fans, “We will come back stronger.” However, some of his fans are suggesting otherwise, with a few even proposing that he leave Al Nassr for Al Hilal.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo continues to do what he does best: scoring goals. Just two minutes after Benzema netted his 10th goal of the season, Ronaldo leveled the match with a low, close-range strike—his 43rd goal in 51 matches for club and country in 2024. With no matches remaining this year for Al Nassr or the Portuguese national team, Ronaldo ends 2024 with an incredible career tally of 916 goals, along with 7 assists this year.
A touching moment on the field showed that the bond between these former Real Madrid stars remains intact. After a heated exchange between Benzema and Ronaldo’s national teammate Otávio, Ronaldo intervened, calming Benzema down by whispering something in his ear. The incident, which occurred in the 67th minute, earned both players yellow cards. However, the camaraderie between the two was evident even before the match, as they greeted each other warmly in the tunnel, sharing a brief hug.
Speaking about Ronaldo after the game, Benzema told Sports Illustrated, “It was great to see Cristiano again. We’ve been through so much together. At Madrid, we played for nine years, scored goals, and won titles.”
