"It's a pity we couldn't play together" - Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane on not sharing the field with Lionel Messi
Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane has admitted to Lionel Messi that he wished he'd played alongside the Barcelona legend.
Zidane faced Messi just once during his illustrious playing career and he saw firsthand the qualities the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner possesses. The French great was on the losing side of Madrid's 3-0 defeat to Barca in La Liga back in 2005 with the Argentine grabbing an assist.
However, the two footballing icons never had the opportunity to play alongside one another. Zidane has admitted he would have liked to have shared the field as a teammate of the Inter Miami superstar.
The pair sat down for an intriguing conversation and touched on several topics. 'Zizou' gets the opportunity to pass the ball to Lionel Messi while saying (via AlbicelesteTalk):
"A little bit of magic over there. Because, you know it's a pity that we couldn't play together. But well, this is the moment for me to pass you the ball."
Zidane and Messi will go down as two of the greatest players to have graced the pitch. The French legend was a unique playmaker who toyed with the opposition with his incredible ball control, vision, and technique. He made 227 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 49 goals and providing 68 assists. The Juventus hero won the Ballon d'Or in 1998 and six major trophies at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi continues to cement his legacy as perhaps the greatest player in history. The Argentine icon staked his claim as football's all-time great during his time at Barca. He scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists in 778 games. The 36-year-old won a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or just last week after winning the World Cup with Argentina in 2022.
Real Madrid superstar Toni Kroos was delighted to see Lionel Messi win the World Cup
Real Madrid star Toni Kroos put Real Madrid's rivalry with Barca to one side to express his admiration for Lionel Messi. The German reacted to the Blaugrana icon's heroics at the World Cup in Qatar (via Marca):
"Leo Messi deserves it. In terms of individual performances at a tournament, I've never seen a footballer play as consistently as this guy. You have to bear in mind that he's never played for clubs that I like, which proves that I'm serious."
Messi lit up the World Cup with inspiring performances for Lionel Scaloni's Albiceleste. He bagged seven goals and three assists in seven games to finally lift the illustrious trophy. It was the final winners' medal missing from the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's glistening trophy cabinet.