On the evening of November 5, Real Madrid legend Benzema posted a photo with Vinicius on social media, captioned: "Always number one ☝🏽".
The post has sparked widespread discussion. Its timing coincided with Ronaldo's announcement that he is retiring from the Portugal national team. More notably, Benzema's caption was identical to the one Vinicius used in his tribute to Ronaldo.
Under Ronaldo's post announcing his international retirement, Vinicius commented: "Always number one!"
The intention behind Benzema's post has prompted considerable speculation. If it was merely meant to show support for Vinicius, who has been in poor form recently, the timing still raises questions.