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Zinedine Zidane's comments on the Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo debate from the past have resurfaced after the former Real Madrid manager recently interviewed the Inter Miami forward.
Messi and Zidane finally got the chance to have a one-on-one conversation this week, facilitated by Adidas. The Frenchman seized the opportunity to pay homage to the Argentina legend, calling him 'magic'.
"It's just one word: 'Magic'," the Frenchman said when asked to describe the former Barcelona maestro in one word (via GOAL).
"Because in the end, what I mean is Leo and I are not together every day. So today is an important day for me because I can tell him how much I admire him. All the people who like football and these people are different. And I think it's magic, pure magic.
"Magic in the sense. Before receiving the ball, he already knew what needed to be done. And especially for me, as someone who understands football. Watching you on the field, I almost knew what you were going to do, you know? It was like a connection. But when I see him doing what he does, I just go like, 'That's it'," he added.
After the conversation went viral, fans dug out Zinedine Zidane's old comments on the Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo debate. When asked to pick between the duo in 2020 (via GOAL), the Frenchman simply declared the Portuguese winger as the best.
"Cristiano is the best," he said. "Messi is his rival and it's the rivalry everyone wants to see. But Ronaldo is phenomenal. There are no words to describe him. He is much better than me even though I had a great career. He's the greatest of all time."
Although one could argue that Zinedine Zidane's comment at the time was influenced by his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo from their Real Madrid days, what's certain is that the Frenchman rates both the players highly.
Has the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's dominance ended?
With the rise of players like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, many believe the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo dominance era has ended. The Argentine won the Ballon d'Or award this year, which some believe will be his last.
Both players are already in their late thirties, and have bid farewell to European football. Their numbers and ability to compete at the top have also declined in recent years.
However, that doesn't necessarily signal the end for the two superstars just yet. With the Copa America and the European Championship coming up next year, fans could get to witness their magic one more time.
