Recalling the time Zinedine Zidane chose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid and France legend Zinedine Zidane picked Cristiano Ronaldo over arch-rival Lionel Messi when asked to choose between the duo in the past.

The Messi-Ronaldo debate has lasted for more than a decade now, with everyone having their own opinions on the topic. Unsurprisingly, Zidane went with Ronaldo when asked to make his own pick due to his affiliation with Real Madrid.

Zidane spoke highly of Ronaldo and claimed that the current Manchester United star is the greatest of all time. The Frenchman also stated that Ronaldo is an even better player than he ever was.

Zidane was quoted as saying the following (via GOAL):

"Cristiano is the best. 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."

Zinedine Zidane 🙌
Cristiano Ronaldo 🔥

These are six footballers who are legends at TWO different clubs https://t.co/E3TRMt6EP5

It is no surprise to see Zidane choose Cristiano Ronaldo over Messi. The Frenchman was the manager of Real Madrid with Ronaldo being his most important player.

Zidane and Ronaldo have won numerous honors together at Real Madrid. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner guided Los Blancos to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018 under Zidane's management.

It is also worth mentioning that Zidane himself represented Real Madrid during his playing career. The Frenchman was one of the original "Galacticos" at the Santiago Bernabeu. He also won the Champions League as a Real Madrid player back in 2002, scoring the winning goal in the final.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo gear up possibly to make their final World Cup appearance

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will most likely compete in their last FIFA World Cup when the tournament takes place in Qatar later this year. Both superstar forwards are on the wrong side of their 30s and could end their playing careers in the near future.

Despite achieving a lot in their careers, both Ronaldo and Messi are yet to win international football's biggest honor, the FIFA World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo, however, hasn't had the best preparation heading into the World Cup. The Portuguese star is not getting regular game time at Manchester United and is yet to score a goal this season as well.

It's always good to be with you! 👏🏽 #alwaystogether https://t.co/QdpkKcuS0F

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, is in splendid form ahead of the World Cup. The Argentine skipper has already contributed four goals and seven assists for Paris Saint-Germain this season.