5 top attackers who suffered due to Cristiano Ronaldo's presence at Real Madrid

#3 Angel Di Maria

The Argentine played under the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo at Madrid

Angel Di Maria had a couple of iconic moments to his name during his time with Real Madrid. His legendary performances - against Barcelona in the second leg of the 2013 Copa del Rey semi-final, and the 2014 Champions League Final against Atletico Madrid - are still fresh in fans' memory.

Unfortunately, despite his decisive efforts for the Spanish giants, the Argentine couldn't establish himself as the leading figure in Los Blancos' attack. That was simply down to the presence of one man, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend's brilliance left no room for the attacker to take over the reigns.

Di Maria ended his association with Real Madrid at the end of the 2013-14 campaign, joining Manchester United in a transfer worth €75 million. His record in the white jersey stands at 36 goals and 85 assists in 190 games.

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#2 Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuain in action for Real Madrid against Real Betis

The Argentine didn't have a poor outing at Real Madrid. In fact, he had a spell he can proudly boast of, recording 121 goals and 56 assists in 264 appearances across all competitions. However, like a couple of names on this list, what the striker suffered from was the overshadowing influence of Cristiano Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu.

That became evident when Higuain left Real Madrid to join Napoli in 2013, instantly establishing himself as an undisputed leader in that team. The Argentine notably set the record for the highest number of goals ever scored by a player in a single Serie A campaign, in the 2015-16 season.

He bagged a whopping 36 goals for Napoli that season, claiming the Golden Boot in the process.

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#1 Karim Benzema

The Frenchman has raised his game to an unbelievable level since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure

The most obvious of all attackers who suffered due to the towering presence of Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid is Karim Benzema. Since the departure of the Portuguese legend, Benzema's brilliance has come into full view.

Since the five-time Ballon d'Or winner parted ways with Real Madrid, Benzema has taken his game to an unbelievable level. He is currently among the top-rated players in the world, even ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, at the moment.

So far this season, the Frenchman has bagged an impressive 32 goals and 13 assists for the Spanish giants across all competitions. Should he continue going in this direction, the striker will definitely be in the talks for the Ballon d'Or award come the end of the season.