Benzema insists El Clasico is best match in Football, opens up on Ballon d'Or prospects

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema insists El Clasico remains the best football match irrespective of the players competing in the fixture. His comments come as the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from La Liga may have reduced the popularity of the derby in the minds of some fans. Ronaldo left Madrid to join Juventus in 2018, while Messi left arch-rivals Barcelona this past summer transfer window

The next El Clasico is set to take place on October 24 at the iconic Camp Nou Stadium. The match will commence live at 7:45 PM IST. Ahead of the mouthwatering clash, here is a look at what the French striker has to say about the Spanish derby, and his thoughts on the Ballon d'Or 2021 for which he was grateful to receive a nomination.

Karim Benzema insists El Clasico is the best match in football

While speaking to ESPN when asked about the El Clasico, Karim Benzema said, "For me, it's still the same. It remains the best match that exists in football. It doesn't matter about the players who are there, who have left or who will join. Real Madrid vs Barcelona is historic. The names change but before there was [Zinedine] Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, [Samuel] Eto'o. Real Madrid vs Barcelona will always be Real Madrid vs Barcelona."

Regardless of the Catalan's slow start to the season, Benzema insists that his side should not underestimate them. "There's never a good moment to play [them]. A team like Barcelona or any top team can have a poor game and then bounce back again. It's a match that we can't take lightly, even if they haven't played well so far," added the French international.

Karim Benzema says winning Ballon d'Or has been a childhood dream

In the same interview, Karim Benzema also highlighted how winning the elusive Ballon d'Or has been his childhood dream. The French striker said that since 'the Ballon d'Or represents the best players in the world,' it was an honour for him to be on the list of nominees. However, he made it clear that while he's on the pitch, he does not care about individual trophies, but helping the team win and 'providing a spectacle' for the fans.