Colombian midfielder James Rodríguez made a bold claim, asserting that he was a better player in his prime than French football legend Zinedine Zidane, who has Algerian origins.
Rodríguez, currently playing for Club León in Mexico, reflected on his illustrious career, including his tenure at Real Madrid, where Zidane once served as his coach.
“Zidane was very good, in his prime he won the World Cup, but… James.”
Similarly, he also considered himself better than Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Xavi Hernández.
“In my prime, James,” he said.
He recounted his journey to the Spanish giants, highlighting his standout performance in the 2014 World Cup, which earned him the Golden Boot.
He revealed that during the tournament, his agent, Jorge Mendes, informed him of Real Madrid’s interest, which motivated him to elevate his game.
Despite lucrative offers from Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, Rodríguez chose Real Madrid, influenced by a personal call from club president Florentino Pérez.
“During the World Cup, (agent) Jorge Mendes told me that Real Madrid wanted me.
“He warned me and said, ‘Don’t lose focus, okay,’ and that gave me more strength. Right after that was the game against Japan, when I came on and scored a goal, then against Uruguay I scored two goals. When he told me that, it gave me more strength. I was 22 years old and I said, ‘Now I have to play better’, and that’s when I got the World Cup Golden Boot.”
He continued: “(Manchester) City and PSG also wanted me. They offered me a lot of money, very high salaries compared to those being paid right now, but I chose Madrid because Florentino (Perez, president) called me and said: ‘Glory or silverware?’ I’ve always been a Real Madrid fan, Real Madrid is Real Madrid.
During his time at Real Madrid, Rodríguez played alongside stars like Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Luka Modrić, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Iker Casillas.
Zinedine Zidane, whom Rodríguez compared himself to, is widely regarded as one of football’s all-time greats.
