Former Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard has weighed in on the eternal debate of football's greatest of all time (GOAT), snubs to crown Lionel Messi as his choice, reported by GOAL. While acknowledging the extraordinary qualities of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Hazard pointed to former France international Zinedine Zidane as the pinnacle of football greatness.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, Hazard shared his perspective on the GOAT discussion, stating, “For me, Messi is the one if you talk about football. But then people have different opinions on that, Ronaldo is the GOAT to score goals and to bring trophies to the team. This guy, wow, look at him now; he is 39 and will score goals until he is 50, believe me. Me, I am more my style of play is Messi, but for me, the greatest is Zidane.”

Hazard, who wore the iconic No. 7 shirt at Santiago Bernabeu during his stint with Real Madrid, played alongside Zidane during the Frenchman's second managerial spell with the club. Despite Hazard's less-than-successful tenure in Madrid leading to his release and subsequent retirement in 2023, he remains an admirer of Messi's football finesse while recognizing Ronaldo's goal-scoring prowess.

Messi and Ronaldo, boasting an impressive 13 Ballons d'Or between them, continue to showcase their talents even after leaving European football. Messi now plies his trade with Inter Miami, while Ronaldo is part of Al-Nassr, both adding to their illustrious careers with new challenges and records.

As the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate rages on globally, Eden Hazard's endorsement of Zinedine Zidane as the greatest adds an intriguing twist to the conversation, showcasing the diversity of opinions within the football community.

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