Zinedine Zidane is, without question, one of the greatest midfielders in modern footballing history. An attacking midfielder, the Frenchman began his career with Cannes, joining Ligue 1 side Bordeaux in 1992. Across the following four years, Zidane established himself as one of the division’s most promising talents.
After the 1995/96 season, in which Zidane helped guide Bordeaux to the UEFA Cup final, the midfielder moved to Juventus, where he only continued to develop as a player. An exceptionally gifted technical player, Zidane helped Juve win two Serie A titles in as many seasons, reaching two Champions League finals in those campaigns.
In 2001, as Zidane was within his prime years, the midfielder moved to Real Madrid for what was then a world-record transfer fee. The midfielder spent the final five years of his career with Los Blancos, winning a La Liga title and the Champions League before retiring in 2006.
Such was Zidane’s calibre as a player that he shared the pitch with some of the best talents in history. Not only that, but as a manager, Zidane has been in charge of Real Madrid on two separate occasions, winning further honours with the club and coaching some of the 21st century’s greatest players.
Back in 2022, Zidane, who helped guide France to World Cup glory in 1998, revealed who he thought was the greatest striker to have ever played for his country in conversation with L’Equipe, via Reddit.
‘I Know What He’s Worth’
Zidane full of praise for former player of his
Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema
The French national side are no strangers to good attackers. In recent years, the country have boasted the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Thuram, Olivier Giroud and many more, only building on the legacy left by players such as Thierry Henry and Youri Djorkaeff, to name just a few.
Zidane, however, snubbed all of the above players and more when naming his country’s best attacking export. He said:
“Some people will tell you it's Jean-Pierre Papin, others will talk about Michel Platini. For me, it's Karim, yes, because I've been around him & I know what he's worth. In any case, he deserves to be very high."
Despite an exceptional playing career, many feel that Benzema could have done more with the French national side. The forward had two periods of exclusion from the side, due to disputes with managers. While he acquired almost 100 caps for his country, there is definitely a feeling that Benzema, who debuted for France in 2007, should have had far more.
Now playing for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, Benzema is best remembered for his 14-year tenure at Real Madrid. For much of his career, the striker was somewhat underrated, playing alongside Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo under Zidane’s management as they won three consecutive Champions Leagues, amongst other honours.
Karim Benzema Stats at Real Madrid
Competition
La Liga
Champions League
Copa del Rey
Towards the end of his time in the Spanish capital, Benzema finally started to receive his flowers, being awarded the Ballon d’Or in 2022 off the back of a truly sensational campaign. As his former manager, Zidane knows first-hand what Benzema was capable of at his peak and to say that the midfielder has played with and managed some incredible forwards, it is the highest of praise from a footballing legend.
( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 04/06/2025 )
Zinedine Zidane watching on from the touchline during his Real Madrid reign Related
Zinedine Zidane: ‘Gary Lineker Calling Ballon d’Or Winner Overrated Was Embarrassing’
Gary Lineker once called out Karim Benzema after a poor performance, something that his manager at the time, Zinedine Zidane, responded to.