"I remember Zidane say Ronaldo is better than Messi" - Pundit recalls Zidane's comments on Cristiano Ronaldo during his Real Madrid stint
Manchester United legend Patrice Evra recently revealed that Zinedine Zidane told him that Cristiano Ronaldo was better than Lionel Messi when the former joined Real Madrid.
Evra recently named Zidane in his five-a-side team with players that he has played with. The Frenchman included Zidane in the line-up. Speaking about the 1998 FIFA World Cup winner, Evra spoke about Zidane's aura.
He further went on to add that Zidane already had Ronaldo on his side when the Portuguese joined Real Madrid in 2009.
Evra said:
“When Ronaldo signed for Madrid, I remember Zidane say Ronaldo is better than Messi, and he is even better than myself. So, he already got Ronaldo in his pocket."
Watch Evra talk about Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo:
Evra further went on to speak about the quality of Zidane as a player and how his accomplishments in the beautiful game commanded the respect of fans and fellow professionals. The former left-back pointed out that it helped Zidane flourish in his coaching career.
Ronaldo played 114 games under Zidane at Real Madrid, scoring 112 goals and providing 30 assists. The pair won three back-to-back UEFA Champions League trophies together.
Cristiano Ronaldo shut the door down on a return to European football
Many eyebrows were raised when Cristiano Ronaldo decided to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr as a free agent on December 21, 2022. The Portugal captain left European football after a legendary stint.
After Al-Alamy's recent friendly against Celta Vigo, Ronaldo was asked whether he would make a return to Europe's club football. Ronaldo shut the door down completely, citing his age as one of the reasons.
He said (h/t Fabrizio Romano):
"I'm 100 percent sure I won't return to any European club. I'm 38 years old. And European football has lost a lot of quality. The only valid one and still doing good is the Premier League. They're way ahead of all the other leagues."
Ronaldo has so far scored 14 goals and provided three assists in 19 matches for Al-Nassr. The Riyadh-based club, however, went trophyless in the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's first season.
Ronaldo is currently focused on leading the team to a trophy in his second season at the club.