Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest names to ever grace the soccer pitch. Even as a coach, the Frenchman has managed to inscribe his name in the history books. Throughout his journey as a player, the legendary midfielder has faced countless iconic players. But in a surprising revelation, Zidane recently singled out a former Barcelona teammate of Lionel Messi as a player he considers his ‘most formidable’ opponent.

Likewise, even as a manager at Real Madrid, Zidane has often faced the wrath of Messi. Yet, the legendary No. 5 has fired an unexpected answer in front of La Pulga that may also raise the eyebrows of many.

Who is the toughest opponent that Zinedine Zidane has ever faced? 

Just hours ago, one of the most iconic meet-ups took place in the history of soccer. Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane crossed paths with each other. This time, rather off the pitch, both sat down for a long interview. Interestingly, the Argentine got the opportunity to ask Zidane who was the toughest opponent he ever faced.

To which Zidane replied, “Well, not the toughest player, but the hardest one in the sense that he was very good. Not hard in the sense that he wanted to hit you, you know? But the hardest one was Paolo Maldini, because he was very smart, intelligent, in the field.” Then the midfielder abruptly took the name of Messi’s former Barcelona teammate, Lilian Thuram. 

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While concluding about Maldini, he said, “Sometimes I was in front of him [Maldini] and well…And Thuram. He was tough. When he is on your team, you are happy. But if he is playing against you, you are not.” Interestingly, Lionel Messi also took forward the conversation by agreeing with the Frenchman about Thuram being tough to play against.

Notably, Thuram and Messi shared a locker room between 2006 and 2008. It was the period until Thuram’s career with Barcelona lasted, as he hung up his boots after that. Despite not taking the Argentine’s name during his previous answer, Zidane did heap praise on Messi in the same interview. 

What did Zidane say about Lionel Messi? 

In the interview, Zidane showered praise on La Pulga, stating that the player demonstrated a deep knowledge of what needed to be done at every moment. He said, “It’s just one word ‘Magic’. Because in the end, what I like I mean Leo and I are not together every day. So today is an important day for me because I can tell him how much I admire him.” 

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Following that, the French World Cup champion highlighted that while there might be a select few players with a deep understanding of the game, there is truly only one Lionel Messi. Zidane also claimed that there was a connection between the two of them, as he knew what he would do next. Indeed, some heartwarming words were shared as ‘game recognizes game’. 

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