Fortunately, it’s not so hard to believe, since both of them are sponsored by Adidas.
Two weeks ago, the Brand with the Three Stripes dropped an exclusive video on their Youtube channel, and as you can imagine, it instantly went viral. French legend Zinedine Zidane and Argentine GOAT of the game Lionel Messi sat down for just under 30 minutes to talk all things football.
Although much of the conversation was focused on the beautiful game, they also explored topics that they hold close to their hearts, including family and special moments in their careers.
They even touched on the importance of the #10, a number that they both famously wore throughout their careers, Zidane for France and Messi for Argentina, Barcelona and now Inter Miami.
They started with a bang, with Zidane immediately admitting that “it’s a pity that we couldn’t play together.” Messi agreed, noting that although they faced off against each other on a few occasions, it would have been a pleasure.
We listed some of the most memorable quotes from the interview below.
Messi: “Well, for us, the Argentineans, the number 10 is a very special number, because you talk about number 10 and automatically Maradona comes to your mind, right?”
Messi: “During our whole lives, those of us who grew up playing football, wanted to be like him. Although no one was able to be like him, that was our dream and desire, to try to copy what Maradona did.”
Zidane: “It is worldwide, not just for Argentineans, because Maradona was an idol for everyone, for the whole world.”
Messi: “For us, Diego is something very strong, that will go on for many years to come. I have no doubts about that. Just like it was, when he was present with us. It goes from generation to generation, because my children, they know about Diego without having ever seen him, just from videos, from what we tell them.”
Zidane: “When we were little, we all wanted to be the number 10. In the team it was the leader.”
Zidane: “Thank goodness you still play and that the 10 still exists.”
Zidane: “For me, because he played in Marseille, it was Enzo Francescoli. He was playing in Marseille when I was 13, before I went to Cannes where I started playing. When I saw him I said, “I want to be him” because he was very elegant. The way he played, the way he moved with the ball as well. You don’t see that often.”
Messi: “I always said that I watched and like Aimar a lot. I always liked the way he played. He was in River, which had a great team, and he stood out a lot. Apart from Diego, who was a different case, for us he always comes first and then the rest. Pablo was the person I admired as a player.”
Zidane: “It is just one word [to describe Messi]: “magic”, because in the end, Leo and I 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 these players who are different. I think it is magic, pure magic. Magic in the sense that before receiving the ball, he already knew what needed to be done.”
Messi: “I’m not saying it because he is here, because I have said it several times before, but I think he is one of the greatest players in history. I have always admired him and liked him a lot. I followed him a lot in Madrid. He made me suffer a lot too because I am a fan of Barcelona. But yes, he has always been a different player, elegant, art, magic. He had it all.”
Zidane: “My advice would be to seize the chance that a player gets because we are doing what we love, playing football. Leo is still showing that today to everyone. But me, as I have been retired for some time now, I would tell people or the kids that they need to seize the chance they get and not be foolish. They need to focus on football, take advantage of it. It’s 15 years, maybe 20 years like Leo, who extends his career for the sake of football and the people. So I’d say that to all the children, seize the chance. Sometimes, you may get two or three, but sometimes it’s just one chance and you have to seize it.”
Messi: “I think we were touched, and we were lucky to be chosen. But then, apart from that, there is work, there is work, a responsibility, a day to day, where we went through all that journey to try to get what we got and enjoy it. I think we were always respectful and humble, that was what I was taught at home since I was a kid. And I think that is the most important thing, right? Just like [Zidane] said, seize the chance and above all, use your head. Because there are a lot of talented people, but many of them don’t make it because apart from talent, you need work, effort, sacrifice, respect and luck.”
The conversation organized by adidas Football took place on September 29 in Miami, FL, where the Messi family currently resides.
