“You have to look forward with the right mentality” - Lukaku names 37-year-old star as idol ahead of Ronaldo, Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Romelu Lukaku has named Karim Benzema as his idol ahead of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Notably, the Belgian striker powered Napoli to the Serie A title last season, finishing the campaign with 14 goals and 11 assists in 38 games across competitions.

Benzema, meanwhile, achieved tremendous success with Real Madrid in his career. The French forward won multiple league and Champions League titles, as well as the Ballon d'Or, during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu. The 36-year-old left Los Blancos in the summer of 2023 to move to Al-Ittihad, and currently plies his trade in the Middle East.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lukaku hailed Benzema for winning the Ballon d'Or after turning 32.

"Of course, we have the tools to always do better. I have a gym at my house. Messi, Ronaldo, [Robert] Lewandowski, and [Zlatan Ibrahimovic] are great, but my role model is Benzema, who won the Ballon d'Or after turning 32. You have to look forward with the right mentality. LeBron James says so too," said Lukaku.

Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia in December 2022 to join Al-Nassr, and signed a new deal with the Riyadh-based club earlier this summer. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is in the final year of his contract with Inter Miami, and his future remains up in the air.

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How many trophies have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi won in their career?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo won his second UEFA Nations League title the summer, which was the 36th trophy of his career. The Portuguese superstar is one of the greatest players to have graced the beautiful game.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner lifted nine trophies with Manchester United, 16 with Real Madrid and five more with Juventus. He won the Arab Club Champions Cup with Al-Nassr in 2023. The 40-year-old also won the UEFA Nations League and the 2016 Euros with Portugal.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is the most decorated footballer in the history of the game, with 46 trophies to his name so far. 35 of those were won with Barcelona, while La Pulga also lifted three trophies with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and two since moving to Inter Miami.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has also won the FIFA World Cup, the Finalissima, and two Copa America titles with Argentina. He also won the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2005 and the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.