As Real Madrid competes in the 2025 Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, Karim Benzema, who has been playing for Al Ittihad for several months, paid a visit to his former teammates. There, the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner spoke with Kylian Mbappé, with whom he is rumoured to have a strained relationship.
The year 2025 begins with a trophy opportunity for Real Madrid. This Thursday, Florentino Pérez’s club will aim to reach the final against FC Barcelona in the 2025 Spanish Super Cup by defeating Mallorca in the semi-final (match available to watch here). Ahead of the competition, held in Saudi Arabia, Karim Benzema made a courtesy visit to his former team. A star in the Saudi Pro League, where he has been playing for over a season with Al Ittihad, KB9 took the time to wish good luck to the players of the club that made him famous. During his visit, the former Real Madrid captain reunited with Kylian Mbappé, who now wears the number 9 shirt.
Rumours before the reunion
Asked earlier this season about his young compatriot, who was struggling to convince, Karim Benzema did not hold back. “For me, the problem is that he is not a centre-forward. That’s not Mbappé’s role. Every time he plays as a number 9 for the national team, he doesn’t perform well. That’s not his position. But the issue is that on the left, there’s another player who’s like him. At the same level, Vinicius. So, there’s a problem…” he said in a special interview with Edu Aguirre on the show El Chiringuito TV. Following this explosive statement, rumours of a tense relationship between the two French players flooded social media.
Adding to the speculation, the vote for the best footballer of the year took place at the end of last year. While most French football figures voted for Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema awarded no points to the new Real Madrid number 9, despite his impressive season. Based on Benzema’s votes, players like Camavinga, Bradley Barcola (PSG), and William Saliba (Arsenal) were deemed better than Mbappé last year. Once again, French media highlighted that KB9 reportedly doesn’t appreciate KM9 for several undisclosed reasons.
The truth about Benzema and Mbappé from Saudi Arabia
Weeks after the latest revelations about the alleged tension between the former French national teammates, Karim Benzema made a strong gesture by visiting the Madrid squad’s hotel in Saudi Arabia this Thursday. Smiling broadly, KB9 warmly greeted Kylian Mbappé, who also had a big smile. According to Defensa Central, the 37-year-old striker told Real’s new number 9: “In the end, you’re here, it was your dream…”
Although he didn’t spend much time with Mbappé—focusing more on catching up with his former teammates—Benzema dispelled rumours of a supposed rift. Today, it’s clear that the French press is wrong to suggest tension between the two French stars due to media statements or the older player’s independent decisions, which are known to be surprising at times. It’s worth noting that people can disagree without being enemies—this seems to be the case between KB9 and KM9.
After his discussion with his former teammates, Karim publicly expressed his excitement about the arrival of the ex-PSG player at Madrid. “I think it’s every player’s dream to play with talents like Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, and Kylian Mbappé. They have it all. They will keep scoring plenty of goals because they have so much talent. And I think Kylian Mbappé’s arrival will bring great joy to Real Madrid’s supporters soon,” he said on Real Madrid TV. End of speculation—everything is fine!
Leave a Reply