Zinedine Zidane only needs one word to describe Lionel Messi, who is awestruck by gift in heartwarming exchange

El Clasico rivals on the pitch and touchline, any animosity dissolved into sheer respect when Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane sat down together.

While at Barcelona, Messi faced Zidane at Real Madrid as both a player and manager in one of football’s greatest match-ups.

France legend Zidane hasn’t worked in football since leaving his post as Madrid coach for a second time in 2021, while Messi has stepped away from elite level football with a move to MLS, meaning it’s unlikely the pair will face off again.

That meant two greats of the game could sit down together, courtesy of adidas, and discuss careers that saw them both win World Cup finals for their countries.

Zidane was asked to describe Messi in just a few words, and showed no Madrid bias at all when praising his former rival.

“No, it's only one word: magic,” he said. “Me and Leo are not together every day so today is a very important day for me because I can tell him how much I admire him. 

“And all the people who like football, and all these players who are different, I think he’s magic, magic in the sense that before receiving the ball, he already knew what needed to be done.

“Especially for me, as someone who understands football, watching you on the field, I almost knew what you were going to do, you know? It was like a connection.

“When I see him doing what he does, I say ‘that’s it’. That’s what people want to see in football, there are only a few of them. There are a few, but not like him. Only a few… Well one.”

Messi was similarly full of praise for a man who inflicted plenty of pain on Barca as both a player and manager.

“I'm not saying this because he is here, I’ve said it several times before,” Messi began. 

“I think he is one of the greatest players in history.