Real Madrid: 10 Strikers Who'd Be Better with Ronaldo Than Karim Benzema

Will the real Karim Benzema please stand up?

If you saw Friday's match between USA and France, you know how dangerous Benzema can be. He didn't score, but he did create several chances and did everything except score.

His club manager, Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho, thinks the current Benzema is the real Benzema.

If so, what took so long?

When he first arrived at the Bernabeu following a big-money move from Lyon, Benzema struggled to find his form.

That got us to thinking: Who would be a better partner up top for Real with Cristiano Ronaldo?

It's a tantalizing prospect. With Real, money is clearly no object. And for our purposes, we're not worried about a scenario being realistic.

So who would you choose? We've got a few in mind.

You're saying a couple of things right now.

One: Duh, Sherlock.

Two: Never gonna happen.

We hear ya.

But couldn't you just imagine a strikeforce featuring both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

It's almost too much to think about.

And if ESPNSoccernet is right, Neymar will be at Real Madrid next season.

That should be fun.

Neymar is the latest Brazilian sensation. At just 19, he's already being touted as a world-beater (hey, Pele did it at 17, so Neymar is running behind).

The scouting report on Neymar is that he's brilliant with the ball at his feet. He possesses superior pace, dribbling and technique, and is a great finisher.

We could actually see this happening one day.

About a month ago, some rumours about a Chicharito-to-Real deal surfaced. But he quickly signed a new five-year contract with Manchester United.

Whether or not it ever happens, it's fun to think about.

Chicharito, whose real name is Javier Hernandez, has a knack for getting himself in dangerous spots at the right time. His vision, anticipation and field awareness would work very nicely with the skills of Ronaldo.

This is less about Ronaldo and Milito as it is about Mourinho and Milito.

Mourinho got the very best out of Milito when the two were at Inter. The Argentine striker had a knack for scoring big goals in big matches.

He grabbed the winner in the 2010 Coppa d'Italia. Then he scored the only goal in Inter's 1-0 win over Siena that clinched the Scudetto.

And don't forget: He scored twice in the Champions League final that year as Mourinho's Inter beat Bayern Munich.

We think Mourinho would get the best out of Milito again if they were reunited at Real.

The rumours have faded somewhat, but it would still be interesting to see what Robin van Persie could do at Real.

We're thinking his strong left foot would be a great complement to Cristiano Ronaldo's dribbling.

Van Persie is in the form of his life right now for Arsenal. We think he could do well at Real, too.

You might remember that when Zlatan Ibrahimovic left Barcelona, he had a few choice words for his ex-manager, Pep Guardiola.

So you had better believe he'd love to play and star for Real Madrid.

And just think of it: Ibra's physicality would be a perfect foil to all of Cristiano Ronaldo's finesse moves and dribbling.

In fact, we think we just gave Real Madrid an idea.

Consider us Giuseppe Rossi fans.

The 24-year-old striker currently plays for Villarreal, but his skills would fit into any team in the world.

We just wish he would have taken his talents to the US National Team.

Sigh…

This is another one that's never going to happen.

But it's fun to dream.

Ronaldo would never let him take the free kicks, but David Villa could contribute with his movement, passing and shooting.

Did you realize he's about to turn 30, though? We didn't.

Yep—it's coming on Dec. 3.

He looks like Malcolm in the Middle, but he plays like a star.

Mario Götze is an up-and-coming German talent who has the ability to run and dribble at defenders and can score against even the best opposition.

Real were reportedly following Götze, but he's said he wants to stay at Borussia Dortmund for now.

Just for fun.

Loïc Remy did what Karim Benzema couldn't against the US.

He scored.