What Cristiano Ronaldo did after seeing Karim Benzema in tears during Real Madrid shirt unveiling says a lot

Karim Benzema had an emotional reaction to his shirt unveiling at Real Madrid, but Cristiano Ronaldo was on hand to save his team-mate's blushes.

The duo formed a deadly attacking partnership for over a decade at the Bernabeu, winning four Champions League titles together.

The pair now play their football in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr and Al Ittihad respectively.

But rewind to 2009 when Ronaldo and Benzema had just signed for Los Blancos, few could have predicted that both players would be crowned winners of the Ballon d'Or in the Spanish capital.

Ahead of their debut season, the pair took part in a photoshoot alongside former players Raul Albiol, Esteban Granero, Xabi Alonso, Kaka, Alvaro Arbeloa and Ezequiel Garay.

However, the moment got a little bit too much for Benzema who was reduced to tears upon seeing his name printed on the back of the shirt. You can watch the video below.

The Frenchman covered his face as he saw the No. 11 shirt laid in front of him, with the photoshoot paused until he could compose himself.

Ronaldo, who was stood next to the striker, offered his sunglasses as a means of hiding Benzema's tears, prompting the Al Ittihad forward to laugh and bury his head into Ronaldo's shoulder.

Even then, the pair were assisting each other - a theme that would translate onto the pitch for years to come.

Fast forward to today, Ronaldo is enjoying a prolific season with Al Nassr and sits top of the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 15 goals to his name.

Benzema, meanwhile, sits joint fourth, having found the back of the net nine times in the league this season.

Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Football, Real Madrid, La Liga

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno