Karim Benzema has revealed his dream XI, and it includes a pair of former Manchester United players.
Benzema’s career is defined by remarkable longevity, success at Real Madrid, and his transformation from a Lyon prospect into one of the sport’s most influential forwards.
His emergence at Lyon included four Ligue 1 titles and an eye-catching performance against Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League knockout stage, which helped put him on the club’s radar.
He was also invited to watch a game at Old Trafford as a teenager. The Frenchman admitted: “As far as I can remember, my father made me go to matches when I was little. Then there are things that stick with you when you’re young. Like when I was 16 or 17, Sir Alex Ferguson invited me to watch a match for Manchester in their stadium.”
Benzema spoke about how Ferguson approached him in the tunnel after his goal at Stade Gerland: “It was huge. Especially coming from this man.”
The match ended 1-1 after goals from Jonny Evans and Anderson Talisca were cancelled out by efforts from Abderrazak Hamdallah and Abha’s Gregor Krychowiak.
Paul Pogba included in Karim Benzema’s all-time XI
Benzema named his all-time best XI during a TikTok challenge with Spanish outlet AS. There are plenty of winners in the team, though a few of his picks are sure to spark debate. One example is Paul Pogba, whose talent has never been questioned, even if his return to United after that record-breaking move didn’t go as planned.
Pogba’s career has struggled to recapture its early promise since helping France lift the World Cup in 2018. He’s currently signed with Monaco but hasn’t yet featured for them.
But it wasn’t just Pogba representing Manchester United in Benzema’s lineup. Cristiano Ronaldo also made the cut, having spent several years alongside the Frenchman at Real Madrid.
Benzema explains why he chose Real Madrid over Manchester United
Benzema has spoken openly about United’s interest in him before his move to Real Madrid. Speaking to Onda Cero, as quoted by the Daily Mail, Benzema recounted how his move to the Spanish giants came together.
“I remember I was with my friends. They called me, my family and my agent, to tell me that I had to go home quickly and that we had to talk. ‘I told them I didn’t have time , and they told me ‘you have to come, Florentino is here. I opened the door and saw him, I didn’t say anything, just ‘hello’.
“There were quite a few clubs that contacted me, like Manchester [United], Inter and Barcelona, but I decided to come here. Real Madrid are an excellent club. I’ve dreamt about playing here since I was 15 years old. Florentino [Pérez] spoke to me about the team and the project that he wanted to create.
“It was very exciting. Real Madrid fans have a special relationship with the players and I am very grateful for that. I felt some strong emotions today and that’s why I kissed the badge.”
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