Zinedine Zidane named Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal as one of his favorite players to watch in the world currently alongside two Paris Saint-Germain midfielders.
The mercurial Frenchman, widely known for his time playing for and managing Real Madrid, had no reservations naming Yamal as one of the best in the world despite the heated rivalry between the two clubs.
“Beyond his position on the pitch, a player who gives me chills whenever he touches the ball is. Against Inter Milan last season in the Champions League at San Siro, he did everything. On his own,” Zidane said at the Festival dello Sport di Trento.
“I also really like PSG’s two Portuguese midfielders, João Neves and Vitinha, they never lose the ball.”
Zidane the Latest Legend to Celebrate Yamal
Zizou isn’t the first, and likely won’t be the last, to praise Yamal in recent months. Zidane’s former Galácticos teammate, David Beckham, might have gone even further with his comments.
“You can’t compare anyone to [Lionel] Messi, in my opinion, but he’s the closest thing I’ve seen. One day, I believe he could be as good as Leo,” the Inter Miami president and co-owner said back in May. “Only ever 20, 30 years does a player like that come along.”
While Zidane and Zlatan Ibrahimović didn’t play together, the latter also spoke at the same festival and would have given the Ballon d’Or to Yamal if it was up to him. “You have to judge the player on his ability to make a difference individually. For me, Yamal did. I would have given it to Yamal,” Ibrahimović said.
Yamal finished second to PSG star Ousmane Dembélé at the lavish awards ceremony, but the Spaniard made history becoming a two-time Kopa Trophy winner—the honor given to the best player under 21-years-old. He also became the first person to win the award in consecutive fashion.
Zidane Teases Managerial Return
Zidane made headlines at the festival when he confirmed his desire to return to management. The legendary former attacking midfielder has been away from the coaching game since stepping away from Real Madrid in 2021, and made it known that he has his eyes on the France national team job.
“I will surely return to coaching,” Zidane said. “I don’t know what the future holds for me. I feel like I can do something with the national team, that’s what I would like to do one day.”
Current Les Bleus boss, Didier Deschamps, is set to step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
“In 2026 it will be over. In my head it’s very clear. I’ve done my time, with the same desire and passion to maintain France at the highest level but 2026 is [a] very good [time to stop,]” Deschamps told TF1 in January.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Zinedine Zidane Reveals His Three Favorite Players in the World.
