Who is the greater number 9: Suarez or Benzema?
Two of the best strikers of their generation, but who should stand ahead of the other when ranking them?
Luis Suarez and Karim Benzema are widely regarded as two of the greatest strikers of their generation. Some even go as far as saying the greatest striker of all time for either of them, and they’re probably not wrong.
These two players have the accolades, trophies, statistic and as fans would say “eye test” to back up this claim. But at the end of the day, one must rank higher than the other, so who come out on top?
Trophies and Accolades
Benzema has won approximately 35+ career trophies across multiple clubs including 5 Champions League titles and 4 Laliga titles. In 2022, he also won the highest individual honour in football, the Ballon D’or. The Ballon D’or win is one of the accolades that confirms his position among football’s greatest.
Suarez on the other hand, has won 25+ career titles, winning 5 Laliga titles and 1 Champions League title. One of his most impressive feat was winning the Laliga with Atletico Madrid in 2020/2021 season after leaving Barcelona when the whole world thought he was finished.
Unlike Benzema who never won the European Golden Boot, Suarez won the Golden boot in 2014 and 2016 with Liverpool and Barcelona respectively.
Benzema with the Ballon D'or
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Statistics
Benzema has over 500 career goals, including 354 for Real Madrid making him the second highest goal scorer in Madrid history while also simultaneously holding the record for the most assist in the club’s history.
His productivity increased significantly after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, proving that he could be the main threat and leader in the team.
Suarez reached 600 career goals with an astounding 290+ assists, extraordinary playmaking numbers for a striker. He was an efficient striker in front of goal, one of the most clinical this sport has ever seen.
His 2013/2014 Premier League campaign is one of the best in Premier League history.
Playstyle
Benzema was technically gifted. One of his standout abilities was his link-up play. He knows how to make the little passes in tight spaces combined with elite movement to get himself in front of goal.
He facilitated Ronaldo for years, and also combined well with Vinicius Jr after the departure Ronaldo.
Suarez is the textbook definition of a complete striker. Aggressive, clinical, stylish. He could shoot as well as he could dribble. On days where he wasn’t getting the goals himself, he knew how to pick out his teammates with beautiful passes.
His creativity and brilliance made the MSN era one of the most dominant in football history.
Suarez vs Pepe and Ramos
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Verdict
The decision to rank one of these two all time great rest on multiple factors. If it’s about the trophies and accolades, it’s Karim Benzema. The 5 Champions League and the Ballon D’or trophy supports that claim
If it’s about the goals, the creativity and the versatility of a player, your pick is Suarez. Two European golden boot, 600+ goals and 290+ assists is nearly enough to make any striker the GOAT.
Nevertheless, these two players any day anytime are two of the greatest number 9 to play the beautiful game.
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