Lionel Messi is awestruck as he swaps shirts with Zinedine Zidane after the superstar duo reflect on their glittering careers… and the former Real Madrid manager reveals his toughest ever opponent
- Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane looked back on their incredible football careers
- The pair crossed paths briefly during their playing days in the Spanish top flight
- ‘It’s Erik ten Games’ – he must now definitely beat Luton – It all comes to the surface
Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane reflected on their incredible careers in a wide-ranging interview as the Frenchman revealed his toughest opponent yet.
The legends reflected on their time in the game before changing into their iconic number 10 jersey in a heartwarming moment.
Messi couldn’t hide his joy when he received the gift, saying: ‘What a shirt’, while Zidane signed the France shirt the former midfielder wore as he led his country to the 2006 World Cup final.
The conversation, facilitated by Adidas and filmed in Miamicovered a range of topics, including who Zidane found most difficult to compete against.
‘The strongest player? Well, not the strongest player, but the most difficult was Paolo Maldini,” he said. “Because he was very smart and intelligent on the field.”
Messi was captured in a heartwarming look at former Real Madrid and France star Zidane
Zidane and Messi exchanged signed international shirts at the end of the conversation
Zidane named two of the greatest defenders in AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini (left) and his former France teammate Lilian Thuram (right)
‘And (Lilian) Thuram. He was tough. If he’s on your team, you’re happy. But when he plays against you, you don’t.’
Zidane played for Real Madrid from 2001 to 2006, while Messi made his debut for Barcelona’s first team in 2004 and spent 17 years at the club.
The pair faced each other in El Clasico in 2005, while Messi also regularly faced Zidane as coach. The 51-year-old was manager of Los Blancos from 2019 to 2021.
The duo shared their regret at never getting the chance to play alongside each other, with Zidane saying: ‘It’s a shame we couldn’t play together. This is the moment for me to pass the ball to you.’
He added: “Today is a very important day for me because I can tell him how much I admire him. I think it’s magic, pure magic.’
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner returned the praise, replying: ‘I have always admired him and loved him very much. I followed him a lot in Madrid. And he also made me suffer a lot, because I came from Barcelona.’
