Su Hang: "Hurry up, stop dragging your feet! Play one more season with me. At the end of the season, the day we win the championship will be your retirement day—and that retirement day will be the day you become the third King of Football!"
Zidane: "And what if we don't win the championship?"
Su Hang: "Then you take the blame for me. No one gives a 35-year-old veteran a hard time—unless that veteran is Ronaldo."
"Then you retire smoothly. No one will hold it against you. People will praise you, turning your criticism session into a memorial celebrating everything you've contributed to football."
"That way, Calderón won't be able to kick me out before the big signings arrive. And no matter who comes in, they'll still end up being my underlings."
Zidane: "You really don't treat me like an outsider, huh? You've even prepared a Plan B where I take the fall for you."
Su Hang: "What? Isn't the FIFA World Player of the Year I'm giving you at the end of the year worth that much? Besides, you've got to stir things up. That's how people remember you."
"The quieter you are in a crowd, the more invisible you become. You need to make waves—create surprises!"
Zidane: "Fine, fine. Just give me a day to think, alright? You really are over the top."
Su Hang: "No need to thank me. Every crazy stunt you pull now becomes fuel for cashing in later!"
...
Soon, The London Globe released a special feature titled "The Best Zidane."
They invited countless football stars and head coaches to send video evidence—oh no… video blessings.
Pelé: "Zidane is a player who transcends statistics."
Maradona: "He's as good as I was."
Florentino: "I shouldn't say this, but Zidane truly is the most important member of the Galácticos."
Ferguson: "Zidane is absolutely the greatest player of this era—no one else even comes close."
Ronaldo: "He's the best midfielder in the world."
Ronaldinho: "He was the best midfielder in the world before me."
Figo: "No player of our era shone brighter than he did."
Beckham: "As a midfielder myself, I know better than anyone that he was number one."
Raúl: "Zidane's presence will remain in football forever—he is irreplaceable."
Ballack: "Any midfielder compared with him simply fades."
Lampard: "Zidane's elegance, brilliance, and steadiness—no one can learn that."
Henry: "He will always be France's leader, our spiritual pillar."
One superstar after another came forward to send their blessings to the retiring Zidane.
Because Zidane never had a farewell match.
And he never held an official retirement ceremony afterward.
Many people felt regret over that.
This "The Best Zidane" video compilation filled that gap for countless fans.
When saying goodbye, it's normal to speak a little more sweetly—even exaggerate a bit. That's just politeness.
After all, which emperor in ancient times didn't have a long list of world-saving praise carved onto his tombstone?
What's worth noting is that many young stars were genuinely thrilled to find themselves included in the video, so their praise for Zidane became even more enthusiastic.
Cristiano Ronaldo: "Zidane will always be the King of Football in my heart."
Messi: "Zidane deserves to be the world's King of Football."
Kaka: "Zidane is the King of Football among attacking midfielders."
Rooney: "If Zidane had played striker, he would've been the King of Football there too."
Ibrahimović: "Zidane first, me second."
Torres: "I often heard Captain Su Hang say Zidane is the third-generation King of Football."
Ramos: "No one can stop Zidane—except himself."
Ribéry: "Zidane isn't only France's King of Football—he should be the world's King of Football."
Robben: "The Dutch have no objections."
Schweinsteiger: "The Germans agree with everyone!"
Soon, words like "Zidane," "retirement," "third-generation King of Football," and "world's number one" flooded social media.
It became a social phenomenon.
Years later, this would become the strongest foundation for Zidane's coronation.
The South Americans had done this twice—and succeeded twice—truly a case of "distance makes the heart grow fonder."
After The London Globe stirred up the storm, authoritative media across many regions began debating Zidane's historical standing.
Some argued that Zidane's career included: three FIFA World Player of the Year awards, one Ballon d'Or, one World Cup title, one European Championship, and one World Cup Golden Ball.
He also won Serie A titles, La Liga titles, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo collected: three FIFA World Player of the Year awards, two Ballon d'Or titles, two World Cup trophies, two Copa América championships, and a World Cup Golden Ball.
He also won La Liga, the Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Champions League.
Of course, the Copa América of that period had relatively low prestige.
By sheer honors, Ronaldo holds the advantage.
If there is a King of Football, it should be Ronaldo.
But The London Globe responded quickly.
They noted that Ronaldo didn't play a single minute in the 1994 World Cup. That trophy can elevate ordinary players, but it doesn't add weight in a debate about the King of Football.
Core players and role players are judged by completely different standards.
And the World Cup where Ronaldo won the Golden Ball was the same one in which he was defeated by Zidane's France.
Direct confrontations between rivals carry tremendous weight.
If a World Cup runner-up finish is usually a plus, losing to Zidane cancels that bonus entirely—maybe even deducts points.
On top of that, the European Championship carries enormous prestige, and in major international tournaments, Zidane stands toe-to-toe with Ronaldo.
At club level, Zidane has two more Serie A titles and an extra Champions League.
And even Ronaldo's only Champions League title so far—Real Madrid's treble this season—was delivered by the leadership of Zidane, Figo, and Su Hang.
Ronaldo clearly coasted this season; his appearances and personal stats dropped sharply—almost a cliff-like decline.
Considering attendance, influence on the team, and consistency of form…
If Ronaldo scores 50 points in the battle for the crown,
Zidane scores 51.
And midfielders traditionally start with a slight disadvantage compared to forwards.
So Zidane's advantage is actually even greater.
In truth, both players' peaks were historically great.
Ronaldo's real misfortune was having a peak that was too short, riddled with injuries. His decline began at 26 and hit a cliff at 29.
Zidane, however, rose steadily from 1993, reached a stable peak in 1998, and maintained top form for years. Even with a slight dip late in his Real Madrid years, he suddenly surged again last season, entering a second peak—and achieved near-perfect results for both club and country.
...
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