Karim Benzema’s Subtle Clapback? Flaunts Ballon d’Or After Cristiano Ronaldo Chooses Kylian Mbappe Over Him

Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has taken a subtle dig at Cristiano Ronaldo on social media. Ronaldo recently revealed his preference between his ex-teammate and French prodigy Kylian Mbappe.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Portugal star chose Mbappe, albeit reluctantly, in front of his ex-Manchester United compatriot Rio Ferdinand.

Hours after Ronaldo’s comments, a fan shared a picture of Benzema’s Instagram Story on X (formerly Twitter). The status featured the Frenchman’s Ballon d’Or trophy from 2022. This led to the X user claiming, “Karim Benzema responds to Ronaldo picking Mbappe over him with an IG story showing his Ballon d’Or trophy.”

The status has now sparked several reactions on social media with many fans flocking to the comments section.

During an interview with Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, was initially asked to choose between Karim Benzema and Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs. Ronaldo didn’t hesitate to choose the Frenchman in that scenario. However, things changed quickly after Ferdinand’s follow-up question.

“Benzema or Mbappe?” he asked. Ronaldo almost instantaneously picked the 25-year-old. The sequence eventually finished with the Portuguese icon taking Ferdinand as his final pick. He then shook the ex-defender’s hand before the rapid-fire round came to a close.

Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo were teammates at Real Madrid for nearly a decade. They formed the core of the iconic attacking trio alongside Welsh star Gareth Bale. They won numerous accolades together including the historic three-peat in the UEFA Champions League from 2016 to 2018. Following the third successive UCL trophy, Ronaldo announced that he was leaving for Juventus.