Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has showered praise on legendary French footballer Zinedine Zidane, hailing him as “one of the greatest players in history” during a recent interview facilitated by Adidas Football.
Zidane, widely recognized for his immaculate playmaking skills, dribbling ability, and elegance on the field, won numerous accolades during his illustrious career, including the FIFA World Cup (1998) and the UEFA Champions League (2001-02).
In the interview, Messi expressed his admiration for Zidane, stating, “Zidane is elegance, art, magic, and everything.” Messi revealed that he used to follow Zidane closely during his time at Real Madrid, despite being a Barcelona player, and highlighted specific moments that left a lasting impact on him, such as Zidane’s goal against Leverkusen in the Champions League final and his goals against Brazil in the World Cup final.
Reflecting on his own career, Messi shared that while he has no regrets, the 2014 World Cup final loss is still stuck in his mind. Despite scoring four goals and providing an assist in the tournament, Messi and Argentina were defeated by Germany in the final. However, he added that winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina helped alleviate some of the disappointment from the previous edition.
Zidane, a Ballon d’Or winner in 1998, played in two FIFA World Cup finals, winning in 1998 against Brazil and losing in 2006 against Italy. Messi, on the other hand, secured his first World Cup title with Argentina in 2022, defeating France in the final on penalties.
