Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo
Luke Davies
Zinedine Zidane’s opinion on the GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has resurfaced.
Zidane is one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. He won 13 major honours in his club career with Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid. At international level, he won the World Cup with France in 1998.
He retired in 2006 and became Real manager a decade later, winning two La Liga titles and the Champions League in three consecutive seasons.
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'Zizou' stepped down as manager in 2018 before returning the following year to win another La Liga title in 2020.
The club's closest rivals during this period were Barcelona, with Lionel Messi leading the line as captain.
Unsurprisingly, Zidane's key man at the time was five-time Ballon d'Or winner and Messi's longtime rival Ronaldo.
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Last year, Zidane and Messi sat down together to reminisce about their careers in a YouTube video for Adidas.
Despite the 52-year-old's admiration for Ronaldo, it was Messi who he paid the ultimate compliment.
"No, it's only one word: magic," he admitted.
"Leo and I are not together every day, so today is a very important day for me because I can tell him how much I admire him.
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"And all the people who like football, and all these players who are different, I think he’s magic, magic in the sense that before receiving the ball, he already knew what needed to be done.
"Especially for me, as someone who understands football, watching you on the field, I almost knew what you would do, you know? It was like a connection.
"When I see him doing what he does, I say, 'That’s it'. That’s what people want to see in football, there are only a few of them. There are a few, but not like him. Only a few… Well, one."
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It's not the first time Zidane has been asked to compare Messi and Ronaldo. In 2018, he was asked if the Portugal international stands alone as the greatest player ever.
He replied: "Yes. His numbers speak for it, both in terms of what he has done and what’s still to come.
“A player could come here, spend 20 years playing in this side and still not achieve what he’s done."
Messi netted 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona, while Ronaldo scored 450 times in 438 matches for Real. Both have since left Europe for MLS outfit Inter Miami and Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr respectively.