"L ball knowledge", "Betrayal" - Real Madrid fans call out Cristiano Ronaldo for picking Mbappe as a better player than ex-teammate

Some Real Madrid fans were left unimpressed and expressed their displeasure online with Cristiano Ronaldo after he picked Kylian Mbappe as a better player than his former club teammate Karim Benzema. Both Ronaldo and Benzema arrived at Santiago Bernabéu in 2009 and shared the pitch at the Spanish giants for nine years.

When asked to choose between the French talents by pundit Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, UR · Cristiano, the Portuguese icon went for the 25-year-old superstar. This response was not favored by many Los Blancos fans with respect to the heights Ronaldo and Benzema have achieved together for the club.

The 36-year-old striker had provided the most number of assists (47) to Ronaldo during the latter's tenure at the LaLiga giants. They shared the pitch 342 times and combined for 76 goals.

Fans flooded social media with posts sharing their opinions on Cristiano Ronaldo naming Mbappe a better player than Karim Benzema. Here are some of their reactions from X (formerly Twitter):

One fan wrote:

"L ball knowledge 😂😂😂"

Another added:

"Betrayal"

"Hmmm, no way he's betraying his friendship for that cheap interview," chimed in another fan.

One account posted:

"Man wtf, this guy was your partner for 9 years. Stupidity baffles me"

Another tweeted:

"Cristiano Ronaldo you shouldn’t do this to someone who has assisted you the most in your career😭😭😭"

"After everything benzema did for him," posted another.

One user wrote:

"Ronaldo is the most childish adult I've ever seen"

While another wrote:

"Cristiano Ronaldo ball knowledge is actually horrendous"

During their time together at Real Madrid, Ronaldo and Benzema forged an excellent partnership on the pitch, winning 15 trophies including two LaLiga titles. They also won two Copa del Rey, two Supercopa de España, four UEFA Champions League, two UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups.

Both Real Madrid legends started playing in the Saudi Pro League in 2023, with Ronaldo signing for Al-Nassr and Benzema joining Al-Ittihad. Ronaldo is Real Madrid's all-time top scored while Benzema is second with 450 and 354 goals respectively.

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Kylian Mbappe opens up on ‘pressure’ of becoming Cristiano Ronaldo’s successor at Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid after an prolific six-year tenure at Paris Saint-Germain in June on a five-year contract. The French national team captain has always been open about his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo. He offered tribute to the Portuguese icon during his unveiling ceremony at Santiago Bernabéu, by recreating one of his moments at Los Blancos.

Speaking about his admiration for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Mbappe said:

"Everyone knows just how much I admire Cristiano Ronaldo as a player. Over time, I have been lucky to brush shoulders with him, to get to know and have a chat with him. We are still in contact. He is always helping me - he keeps up with what is going on in my life, and he gives me tips."

Mbappe clarified that he is concerned about his own run at the Spanish club rather than feeling the pressure of becoming Cristiano Ronaldo’s successor at Real Madrid. He said (via Madrid Xtra on X):

“Cristiano is my idol, but I don’t think about the pressure of being his successor. I want to be Kylian. The only pressure I want is about me and the team.”

Kylian Mbappe has recorded three goals in five appearances for Los Blancos while contributing to winning the 2024 UEFA Super Cup.