When Zinedine Zidane named a player better than Messi and himself

One of the great lingering debates in world football is the GOAT - determining who the greatest of all time is from a range of legendary figures through various generations.

Ask anyone who the best player is and many names will be given: Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Oliver Kahn, Gianluigi Buffon - the list goes on.

However, the discussion over the GOAT of football over the past two decades or so has invariably gravitated towards two iconic veterans: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

According to GOAL, the duo has been at the forefront of global football dominance with an astounding 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them. The Argentine has won it eight times while the Portuguese earned five.

Even remarkable achievements like Messi's triumph at the 2022 World Cup with La Albiceleste or the goal-scoring records set by the 38-year-old Al-Nassr captain have been unable to settle the debate conclusively.

When Zidane weighed in on GOAT

Recent footage has emerged featuring former Manchester United defender, Patrice Evra, recounting a conversation he had with iconic French player, Zidane, regarding the football GOAT.

Per a video on social media, the Frenchman stated that his compatriot candidly expressed a belief that Ronaldo surpassed his long-standing rival, Messi, and outshone Zizou himself.

Evra stated: "When Ronaldo signed for Madrid, I remember Zizou [saying] Ronaldo is better than Messi, and he is even better than [Zidane]."

This mirrors Zidane's previous comments on where Messi and Ronaldo stand in the debate on the greatest footballer the world has ever seen, per Sportskeeda.

Messi's stance on GOAT debate

Meanwhile, Messi's claim to the title of the football GOAT has been further solidified by his recent accomplishment, now recognised by Guinness World Records.

The current captain of MLS franchise, Inter Miami, has been engaged in a long-standing rivalry with Ronaldo, who captains Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

While some still argue about who the superior footballer is, Messi is undoubtedly among the greats in terms of world records set compared to his superstar rival.