Zinedine Zidane is widely regarded as one of the finest footballers the game has ever seen. He secured major honours in France, Italy, and Spain, and crowned his career with glory at the World Cup, Euro 2000, the Champions League, and a Ballon d’Or — an extraordinary résumé by any standard.
Beyond his brilliance on the pitch, Zidane proved his tactical intelligence by becoming one of the rare elite players to transition seamlessly into top-level management. Across two spells in charge of Real Madrid, he guided the club to two La Liga titles and three Champions League triumphs, along with several other domestic and international trophies.
In short, when Zidane speaks, the football world pays attention. That’s why it was so striking when the Frenchman once described a player as being “miles better” than himself — a player he also hailed as the greatest footballer in history.
Zidane
In 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo had just claimed his fifth and final Ballon d'Or. When asked if the Portuguese forward was the greatest player ever, Zidane emphatically replied:
"Yes. His numbers speak for it, both in terms of what he has done and what's still to come.
"There's no more words you can use to describe Cristiano. What he does is phenomenal.
"A player could come [to Real Madrid], spend 20 years playing in this side and still not achieve what he's done."
With Ronaldo's achievement up for discussion, Zidane jokingly told a news conference: "I was definitely better!" He then revealed his true feelings, adding:
"You know what I think, he's miles better, but I didn't have a bad career either."
While most would accept that Ronaldo has achieved more in football, many would insist that Zidane should not be quite so humble about his talent. After all, both men can consider themselves right in the top tier of Real Madrid legends.
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Zidane Used to Prefer France Icon to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Frank Ribery
Given everything they accomplished together at Real Madrid, it’s hardly shocking that Zinedine Zidane eventually labelled Cristiano Ronaldo the greatest player in football history. Yet the Frenchman wasn’t always completely convinced by the Portuguese star’s credentials.
In fact, there was a time when Zidane suggested that Franck Ribery was the better footballer. That comment dates back to 2009, when both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were still in the earlier stages of their careers and had not yet fully cemented their legacies. Zidane said at the time:
"There are very good footballers in the world, like Cristiano Ronaldo or [Lionel] Messi, but the best for me is Ribery."
Ribery would go on to have an incredible career, and was perhaps unlucky not to win the Ballon d'Or himself in 2013 – the French winger certainly felt he deserved it more than Ronaldo – but it's he didn't quite reach the same peaks as Ronaldo, Messi, or even Zidane.