Benzema Praises Mbappe Form, Urges Team Unity

Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has praised Kylian Mbappe's goal-scoring prowess at the club while urging greater team coordination to maximize the French forward's impact, in an interview published Sunday with Spanish outlet AS. The 37-year-old Benzema, who left Real Madrid for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia in 2023 after a trophy-laden 14-year stint, also left the door open to a potential return to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid ahead of the 2024-25 season, has continued his prolific form this campaign, netting 19 goals across all competitions, including the Club World Cup. That figure surpasses any teammate by at least 13 goals, with the 26-year-old averaging a strike every 80.7 minutes. He leads the squad in shots attempted and big chances created, converting 16 of 26 opportunities for a 21.2 percent success rate. Benzema, Real Madrid's second-highest all-time scorer with 354 goals in 648 appearances, expressed admiration for his compatriot's adaptation but emphasized the need for improved synergy.

"Scoring goals is not new to him," Benzema said. "He did it at PSG, and at Real Madrid, he is going to score many more." He highlighted matches against...