Colombian star James Rodriguez’s idols do make up for an interesting read. They are Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane. A former rival and a coach who perhaps did not get the best out of the former Real Madrid no 10. What could have possibly prompted Rodriguez to choose them over other soccer icons, particularly Colombian ones?

The left-footed midfielder is currently plying his trade for Sao Paulo in the Brazilian Serie A. Having left Greek side Olympiacos in 2023, a return to European soccer looks unlikely for the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot Winner. Hence, his chances of playing with Messi look slim. However, with rumors of Inter Miami joining the Copa Libertadores, perhaps we could see them face off one last time.

Lionel Messi and Zidane are idols for the Colombian ace.

In a recent interview, the playmaker was quizzed on which idol he would like to have as a partner on the pitch. James answered in his typical no-nonsense style. The Colombian said, “With Zidane, who was my coach, I would have loved to play. With Messi, I faced him many times, but I would have loved to play with him.”

Since Zidane joined Real Madrid, his preferred midfield trio did not include the Colombian. Even while playing with 4 midfielders, Zidane preferred Isco over Rodriguez. This ultimately led to the star joining Bayern Munich on a loan deal. Yet, it seems the 32-year-old footballer still retains the utmost respect for his former boss.

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Barcelona icon Lionel Messi and James Rodriguez were involved in many heated El Clasico’s. Hence, the Colombian knows very well the quality of the Argentine maestro. In fact, it can be argued that James is one of the biggest Messi fans out there.

Messi has always been the best for James

James Rodriguez was a teammate of 5-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, for James, Messi has been the best. James previously said, “I’ve always thought that Messi is the best in history.” Not the words that Real Madrid fans would have wanted to hear. He also added interesting information regarding his Real Madrid clause.

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James had said, “In Real Madrid, we were forced by contract to say that the best was Cristiano.” Not entirely surprising, considering that Lionel Messi and Ronaldo were competing for the tag of the best player in the world. However, James did express his respect and admiration for the Portuguese legend.

Which soccer legend would you like to team up with? Let us know in the comments below.

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