Two of the most iconic players, not just in a generation but to ever grace the beautiful game, Zidane and Ronaldinho inspired millions with their silky feet and mesmerising talent.
However, given the choice, who would you sign for your club? Prime Zidane or prime Ronaldinho?
GiveMeSport posed a poll to our Facebook followers yesterday to see who they would pick between the two and the results are quite surprising.
64% of the vote was in favour of the tricky Brazilian Ronaldinho. In his time Ronaldinho was certainly one of the best in the world with the former Barcelona star playing a huge role in Brazil’s successful World Cup campaign in 2002, sinking the hearts of the English along the way.
Who doesn’t remember that looping free-kick that lobbed David Seaman in the quarter-final of the 2002 World Cup and sent him falling into the net behind him, taking the hopes of England fans with him along the way?
Chelsea fans must also get PTSD seeing the Brazilian, as his excellent goal against the London based side knocked them out of the Champions League at their own ground, Stamford Bridge.
Ronaldinho is somewhat static on the edge of the box, before finding the slightest of gaps in the Chelsea defence to bury the ball into the back of the net.
Who would’ve ever thought that Ronaldinho would end up in a Paraguayan prison for using a fake passport?
The World Cup winner is currently under house arrest after serving a short stint in a Paraguayan prison, where he was able to show off his slick footwork against inmates, with footage of Ronaldinho playing in prison going viral.
Receiving only 36% of the vote, current Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane definitely deserved better. The Frenchman was an absolute powerhouse in midfield and an elite playmaker, he was the kind of player that could make any teamwork.
With Zidane in your midfield, you would automatically expect to win games, with his playmaking abilities you would think that even flops like Emmanuel Riviere would score 30-a-season with the French icon’s service.
Zidane was part of a legendary Real Madrid team known as ‘The Galacticos’ which featured some of football’s greatest ever players. Having signed for Madrid from Italian giants Juventus (Piemonte Calcio for the FIFA players) in 2001 for a world-record fee at the time. (€77.5 million.)
Zidane starred alongside Ronaldinho’s mega-star Brazilian teammates R9 Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos as well as David Beckham, Raul and Figo in what might be the greatest collection of footballers in one team ever.
We last saw the French Icon play professionally in the 2006 World Cup final, with Zidane bowing out from the game in a way we all (except the Italians) wish had happened differently, as Zidane was sent off for infamously headbutting Marco Materazzi, with his side down to ten men, France lost the final to Italy through penalties.