Real Madrid hero Zinedine Zidane names Barcelona star among 3 players who excite him the most in world football now

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane named Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stars Vitinha and Joao Neves as three players who excite him in world football today.

The first of the lot, Yamal, is widely considered to be among the best players going around and was even in the conversation for the 2025 Ballon d'Or award. He's only 18 years old and has already made 111 appearances across competitions for the Blaugrana, bagging 27 goals and 38 assists.

Speaking about the Spain international in a recent media appearance, Zidane said (via Barca Universal):

"Regardless of position, one player who excites me when he touches the ball is Lamine Yamal. Against Inter last year in the Champions League at San Siro, he did it all on his own."

He then continued to mention the two PSG players, who were crucial to the French outfit's success in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign. Zidane added:

“Then I think of Vitinha or Joao Neves. They never lose the ball."

Vitinha has been at the Parc des Princes since the summer of 2022, when he joined the side from Porto. Since then, the 25-year-old midfielder has made 163 appearances across competitions for PSG, bagging 20 goals and 18 assists.

Meanwhile, Vitinha's midfield partner, Neves, only made the move to Paris in the summer of 2024 from Benfica. He's played 63 matches in all competitions for Luis Enrique's team, scoring and assisting 10 times each.

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe says he never thought of joining arch-rivals Barcelona

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe revealed how he never desired to play for Barcelona while addressing Lionel Messi. The pair shared the pitch for PSG 67 times across competitions between 2021 and 2023.

However, Mbappe says that this would not have been possible if Messi had not moved to Paris. Speaking about how he always wished to play for Los Blancos, the 2018 World Cup winner said (via Fabrizio Romano):

"I was lucky to be able to play with Leo Messi. He is totally normal, he has respect for everyone”.

“I never thought I’d play with him because my dream was always Real Madrid, I never thought about joining Barcelona in my life”.

Mbappe ended up joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 following an uneasy period over his contractual situation with PSG. Since then, the Frenchman has played 69 games at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring 58 goals and bagging seven assists.

About the author

Rahul has been a European football journalist for Sportskeeda since 2023. A B.B.A. L.L.B. graduate, he captained his university football team and also played for Boca Juniors Football School during his initial years, and also coached his university's girls team. He always aims to translate his tactical awareness, knowledge of the sport and first-hand experience into well-researched articles for his readers.

A follower of the beautiful game since 2014, Rahul is an avid Arsenal and a match-going Bengaluru FC fan. His favorite footballer is Mesut Ozil due to his love for nimble-footed playmakers, while his favorite manager is the legendary Arsene Wenger owing to the Frenchman's attractive style of football.

Rahul, whose favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Lionel Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, has interviewed grassroots expert Tom Byer in the past and gained insight into Japanese football. He also believes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can rule the footballing world and take Ronaldo and Messi's place.

When he is not writing, Rahul likes to spend his time playing football, following the Indian Super League and watching other sports. He is also a huge cricket fan and supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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Edited by Rahul Naresh