Ronaldinho vs Zidane: Who was better?
Over the years, football has seen many legendary players from different eras grace the game and win countless accolades for themselves. Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Platini and the list of these giants go on and on. In the modern era, two names stand out in this long list. Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho.
While Zidane was an epitome of technique, Ronaldinho was probably the best entertainer that the game has ever seen. Both grandmasters have won every major trophy in the world of football.
Both veterans have been supremely successful at the club level, as well as at the international level, winning countless league titles, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup. Individually, both have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award as well.
It has always been a tradition to compare the best against each other. One would definitely compare these two legends to find out who emerges as the better player.
QUOTES ABOUT THEM
While both have been subjects of a wealth of adulation from their co-stars and managers, both have been named in Pele's list of FIFA Top 100 Greatest Players of all-time.
Several former greats of the game have showered their praises over Zidane. But, one, in particular, praised the elegance Zidane carried with him on the pitch. This was none other than Paul Scholes.
“To see Zidane in action was to witness poetry in motion.”
That was what United's shy legend (one of the best in his era), said about his French counterpart. Scholes and Zidane have publicly expressed their regrets about not getting a chance to play with each other.
When asked about his legendary former team mate, the current French national team coach Didier Deschamps said,
“Zidane achieves on the field what everyone dreams of doing just once. Even if I had trained day and night, I would never have got there.”
Those quotes and countless others prove Zidane was not just a player, but a magnificent artist of the game.
On the other hand, the Brazilian trickster also has his knot of fervent admirers. Over the years, Ronaldinho became utterly skilled in getting the fans on their toes. His uncanny ability to get past defenders in the flash of a second earned him extremely positive reviews.
His former Barcelona team-mate Eidur Gudjohnsen was filled with awe, as he stated:
"When you play with him and see what he does with a ball, nothing surprises me anymore. One of these days, he will make the ball talk."
Frank Rijkaard - Ronaldinho's coach during his time at Barcelona also had sweet words to heap onto the magician.
"He is the man that makes the difference between a team that plays well and another that is really memorable. Ronaldinho alone can decide one game."
STYLE OF PLAY
While both of them played as attacking midfielders for their teams, Ronaldinho proved to be more versatile, considering his ability to play in both central and wider positions. The Brazilian was a devilish trickster when it came to bamboozling defences.
He was blessed with a plethora of skills at his disposal, making him very much unpredictable, as well as menacing for the defenders. Daniel Van Buyten quoted the following on Ronaldinho, shedding light on his unpredictability.
“Ronaldinho is very hard to stop because his game is impossible to read. He never makes the same feint twice in a row. Even when I’d watched several videos of him, he was still hard to counter. He is simply too unpredictable and sharp.”
Ronaldinho gave football fans a multitude of unforgettable memories. Be it the glorious chip free-kick over David Seaman, or the one-man show against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Brazilian’s prime didn’t last very long but it was enough for him to seal his place among the pantheon of football’s greatest players.
Ronaldinho’s mastery with the ball was a cut above the rest. He is easily one of the most gifted players of all-time and with a bit more discipline, he could’ve had his name etched alongside the Peles and Maradonas of the world.
The former Barcelona and AC Milan forward showed the world things they had never witnessed before. Always calm and collected in the face of danger, Ronaldinho usually played with a smile on his face. These attributes have helped him gain recognition as the greatest entertainer the world has ever seen.
Zidane, on the other hand, was a technically gifted player, apart from being a great passer and an equally ferocious finisher. La Roulette, his signature move, was one of the most followed football tricks in the world.
Although Sir Alex Ferguson did reject the chance to sign him, he was highly impressed with the Frenc magician when he quoted the following:
"Give me ten logs of wood and Zinedine Zidane and I will win you the Champions League."
Swedish front-man Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of his football peers, also agrees with Sir Alex's opinion on Zizou as he quoted:
"Zidane was from another planet. When Zidane stepped on to the pitch, the other ten guys just suddenly got better. It is as simple as that."
Both quotes prove the fact that Zidane had developed a penchant for rising to the occasion whenever his teams needed him, and his influence made his team play better than they usually did.
Zidane's way of dictating the tempo of the game has been second to none. He was an integral part of the Galacticos team that won the tenth Champions League title for Real Madrid.
His superb winner versus Bayer Leverkusen in the final is regarded as one of the finest goals ever scored in a Champions League Final. Also, Zidane had wondrous ball-control abilities, which would invite awestruck gasps from those watching him play.
INFLUENCE
The fact that both players have been highly influential in the teams they have played for is well-known throughout the footballing world. Zizou and Dinho had the powers to change the face of the game single-handedly. Their mere presence itself enhanced their respective teams to look much better than they actually were.
Both Zizou and Dinho have come to face-to-face many times when the former plied his trade at Real Madrid and the latter played for rivals Barcelona. A reason why Ronaldinho looks even greater is that he faced a Real Madrid side consisting of Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Luis Figo, and Ronaldo.
When asked about Ronaldinho's greatness, his Barcelona team-mate Juliano Belletti replied,
"Ronaldinho had opponents which made his talent even bigger. He played against a Real Madrid team of Zidane, Figo, Beckham, and Ronaldo."
The famous 6-3 thrashing of Madrid by Barcelona at their home ground has gone down in history books as one of the most exciting matches ever played. The wily Brazilian scored two and assisted another two, as Barcelona absolutely shackled Madrid's defence.
Unsurprisingly, The fixture went on to become one of the most remembered matches in the history of the El Clasico.
Another mesmerizing performance came in 2005, again, in an El Clasico encounter. Ronaldinho scored two stunning solo efforts against Iker Cassilas, after running riot against a young Sergio Ramos.
The magnitude of the devastation he caused in the 3-0 win was enough to earn him a standing ovation from the devout Los Blancos supporters. Only Dinho and Diego Maradona have achieved this rare feat at the Bernabeu.
Back in 2006, Brazil were touted as favourites to win the World Cup, but were shockingly eliminated after a 1-0 loss to France. Although the deficit was quite low, a team decorated with players like Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Kaka, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho seemed helpless against Zizou's menacing magic. The fixture demonstrated Zidane to be an absolute monster when it came to big games.
Another notable match was the 1998 World Cup semi-final vs favourites Brazil. It was the 1998 World Cup final, and Brazil had entered the tournament as the defending champions. Even with France in tremendous form going into the game, it was going to be a tough match for France to win.
However, it didn’t take long for Zidane to stamp his authority on the game, scoring two of France’s three goals, both of which were headers. It was a fantastic game from Zizou, and he was named the Man of the Match.
HONOURS & STATISTICS
"Some are born artists. Some, themselves are art."
The above statement suits the two grandmasters perfectly. Zidane was an artist considering his sleek control on the ball and the ability to glide with it over the field.
Ronaldinho aptly fulfils the second part of the quote, owing to his unforgettable freestyle dances on the pitch, that left defenders hopelessly helpless.
Zidane and Ronaldinho have had decorated careers, winning every major trophy in the football world. Zidane won the World Player of the Year thrice, while Ronaldinho won it twice. Their World Cup tally is intriguingly the exact opposite.
Zidane amassed a career total of 156 goals in 789 appearances for both club and country. To add an amazing fact, the Frenchman was never caught off-side in his whole career. A great milestone for an attacking midfielder!
Ronaldinho completely overpowers Zidane on this stage, as he scored a tally of 313 goals in a total of 825 appearances for both club and country. Ronaldinho's advanced skill-set has certainly helped him overtake the French legend in terms of goal tally. All this done with a simple smile on his face!
LONGEVITY
The only facet where Ronaldinho might find himself trailing Zidane is the longevity of their careers. While Zidane was a disciplined professional right to the end of his career, Ronaldinho got lost along the way.
A lavish lifestyle and frequent partying saw Ronaldinho lose his touch as a fantastic footballer. The emergence of Lionel Messi at Barcelona proved to be the final nail in the coffin, leading to his decline.
THE RESULT
Although Zidane did play for longer than Ronaldinho did, the latter ousted statistically, scoring more goals in fewer appearances. Also, Ronaldinho faced high-quality defenders a lot more frequently than Zidane did. He is also regarded as the pioneer who helped build Barcelona.
According to their style of play, Ronaldinho proved to be much more exciting to watch, although Zidane was a fantastic entertainer himself. The Frenchman showed the world the elegance with which football should be played.
The only negative in Ronaldinho's career was his lack of discipline, which led to his premature decline. Otherwise, Ronaldinho proves as the better of the two.
Comparing their peak periods, Ronaldinho would emerge victorious, considering his goal scoring feats and his influence at Barcelona.