Robert Lewandowski not interested in creating rivalry with Karim Benzema

Robert Lewandowski has insisted that his focus remains solely on winning trophies with Barcelona and not battling Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema for the honour of being the world’s top striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi enjoyed a competitive rivalry during their time at the two La Liga giants and, with Lewandowski moving to Camp Nou this summer, there is now another straight comparison between two of the game’s top talents – both will be on the podium for the Ballon d’Or.

Lewandowski bagged 50 goals and seven assists in 46 appearances last season for Bayern Munich, while Benzema racked up 44 and 15 in the same number of games with Real.

It has all the components of a fantastic rivalry, but according to Lewandowski, it’s not one he is interested in getting into.

“I look at myself and my team, not at others,” he told Sport1. “Of course you are looking forward to games like the Clasico and Benzema is a great striker, but in the end it’s about winning titles with Barca. Everything else is irrelevant.”

The Poland international even stressed that he does not care about individual prizes like the Ballon d’Or, responding to claims he only moved to La Liga to boost his chances of winning.

“I have always said that the success of the team drives me,” Lewandowski continued. “Such prizes are nice extras, but that’s not why I wanted to go to Spain. What was partly written was not true.”