Real Madrid icon Karim Benzema seems to have endorsed Vinicius Jr as the most crucial player for the team following their 2-0 victory over Espanyol.
The Brazilian forward netted two goals, nearly single-handedly guiding his team to triumph at the RCDE Stadium.
Vinicius Jr shared images from the match against Espanyol on Instagram, which prompted Benzema to comment on the post.
The French striker referred to him as the no. 1, indicating that he ranks him above his fellow countryman Kylian Mbappe at the club.
“N1🔥🔥,” he commented.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr have been engaged in an unspoken rivalry since the French player joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2024.
His transfer followed a prolonged pursuit by Los Blancos after the Brazilian had just led the team to the UEFA Champions League title and narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or.
The former Flamengo player has had to accept sharing the limelight with his teammate at the club, but this has coincided with a dry spell at the Bernabeu.
His two goals against Espanyol marked only the fourth occasion this season that he has scored more than once in a match for Los Blancos, bringing his league total to 15 goals. In contrast, Mbappe has found the net 24 times in the league this season, despite facing injury challenges.
Benzema experienced considerable success alongside Vinicius Jr at the Bernabeu, including winning the Champions League together in 2022. He has also played with Mbappe for the French national team, but their bond does not seem to be as strong.