Why Zinedine Zidane Isn't A Genuine GOAT Candidate

A three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Zinedine Zidane was a majestic footballer and my favourite player to watch when I was growing up.
However, there are those who claim Zizou belongs in conversations with the likes of Messi, Maradona, Pele and Ronaldo with regards to who is the greatest footballer of all time. In this video, HITC Sevens attempts to explain why that would be overestimating Zidane's career.

[@ampjacob6370]

His brace against Barcelona in the 1998 World Cup? Did I hear wrong?

[@hussainsultanzada6123]

I'm guessing he meant to say Brazil

[@crunchynuts9921]

Nope. You heard right

[@karlwesaufski1713]

Brazilona

[@dd-uf9nw]

I thought What Barca were doing in the world cup

[@cillianwalsh7976]

T

[@reecequirk5211]

I do love videos like this, you do have a way of telling a story. After this weekend I'd love to see a video like this about Sergio Aguero and the impact he's made in the premiership but that might just be me

[@vcxvcxvxcv7105]

not a hater did he ever had an impact in cup competitions ie world cup and ucl still top 5 striker 2010s

[@reecequirk5211]

That's why I said Premiership

[@vcxvcxvxcv7105]

@@reecequirk5211 well played

[@olliedavies6815]

v cxv cxvxcv he’s one of the best strikers ever never mind 2010’s

[@pontins_reviews]

Premier league

[@rashfordisatoeeater6297]

He was class but just wasn’t consistent at club level. Still an absolute legend.

[@battistoberhoel8839]

@Anthony Suarez did you see him play week in week out?

[@user-ui7ph7vo9e]

I didn’t see him play consistently besides the 2006 World Cup but they’re are many ppl who saw him play that said he was inconsistent. None of us saw pele or marsdona play but we judge them lol

[@bangelz0949]

@@user-ui7ph7vo9e and your name is the greatest disappointment in football ever wich is ronaldinho Same age as Ibrahimovic But preferred party&money than football exactly what could ruin neymar Ronaldinho was class only for a few season

[@user-ui7ph7vo9e]

BAngelZ 09 he was world class from 2002 to 2007 and played at an all time great level from 2004 to 2006

[@bangelz0949]

@@user-ui7ph7vo9e agree could still be world class in the 2010s but unfortunately didn't happen

[@justanotherrandomguy7328]

This debate about Zidane's abilities (or performances) shows something about his very own way of playing. Lots of rational arguments tend to put him away from the very top of the football pyramid, yet at the same time he definitely comes to mind when we talk about the greatest. I think it is because of his way of moving on the pitch, he had a very distinctive grace that made his greatest moments even more beautiful and noteworthy. His playstyle magnified what was one of the most excellent player of his generation and makes us judge him on other notions than we would tend to use on other players.

[@simonthomsen8578]

Exactly. Elegance does not equate a great footballer. Platini wasn't nearly as elegant as Zidane, but way more efficient.

[@justanotherrandomguy7328]

@@simonthomsen8578 Exactly in term of performance, that's what I was trying to communicate. But in term of show (because that is what pro football is), it puts him in a special noteworthy place. Don't you agree my friend?

[@simonthomsen8578]

@@justanotherrandomguy7328 Yes yes, there was no disagreement in the first place hehe

[@justanotherrandomguy7328]

@@simonthomsen8578 Thank you sir. I wish you all the best and a happy new year 😉

[@simonthomsen8578]

@@justanotherrandomguy7328 you too, sir🤩

[@johnbailey614]

My fave thing about Zidane was how effortless he made everything look. Also his volley technique and first touch were sublime remember trying to emulate them as a kid.

[@jumabahati6645]

To much adore about nothing. The guy was just a calmer version of Paul Pogba who was hyped by the press. A fraud to be specific

[@andrewvaughan5686]

what made the quarter final vs brazil in 2006 so memorable and so impressive was all the other world class players on the pitch....viera, henry, ronaldo, ronaldinho, carlos, cafu, kaka etc and zidane stood head and shoulders above all of them, he showed that he was the best of the best.

[@unknownunknown3692]

Dont make things up barcelona vs madrid between 03-07 was more star sudden. Zidane played 3 season in a row bad suddenly played great at quarter finale. But he didnt school them or dominated them.. Thats made up. Watch the whole match. brazil had 5 chances just as brazil.. Brazil kaka dinho were playing whole tounrament bad

[@MountRushCollymore]

You are so right. Even his legendary teammates looked to him for inspiration.

[@noname52768]

So he’s a goat because he had one good game? He wasn’t consistent at all.

[@andrewvaughan5686]

@@noname52768 one good game lol

[@nguyenai1337]

I agree with you. With similar reason, we can say Ronaldinho GOAT because he dominated vs Real Madrid game, or even Riquelme, who lead Boca Juniors to beat Real (with Zidane, Figo, Raul...) ​@@noname52768

[@kentkariuki8321]

His brace against Barcelona in the 1998 World Cup Final. I didnt know Barcelona was a country.

[@kiambo1601]

*Spain has entered the chat* *Catalonia has left the chat*

[@matthewkilcoyne7217]

Kinda is doe init

[@vertexmagma2187]

Stupid shit

[@DR-uq4hn]

kent kariuki yeah I heard him saying “Barcelona” but I thought he meant Brazil. Whatever 😂🤦🤷‍♂️🤣 Zizou destroyed both 😉

[@unstoppableExodia]

Rafi David no zizou didn't destroy Barca. Barca's rise coincided with zizous decline

[@TechEvolution781]

If player is judged by performance when it matters most, then why nobody is talking about Miroslav Klose. Record WC goal scorer of all time

[@osobear4365]

One of my favorite players back in the day. No one ever talks about him.

[@teergeret]

Klose goals were mostly a matter of pure determination, resulting in less spectacular goals. Plus he was nowhere near as good in other parts of the game. Still, one of the best strikers ever and an absolutely great personality to go with that.

[@TechEvolution781]

@@teergeret that's ridiculous. Goals are goals. It's worldcup not italian/French Cup

[@teergeret]

@@TechEvolution781 what's ridiculous? I personally agree with you, but I'm just saying why he's rarely mentioned alongside messi, ronaldo and others, which is obviously because he didn't play as "beautifully" as them

[@TechEvolution781]

@@teergeret Everyone judges Messi, cruyff, Ronaldo for not having a WC Trophy. It's not fair. If world cup is the only place to show greatness, then klose is better than R9 in that sense. (Example : shaka hoslop)

[@XBR4Da]

You ever thought about doing Podcasts? Id love a weekly podcast where you just talk about football

[@HITCSevens]

I'd love to, I'm just not sure where I'd find the time right now unfortunately!

[@billygates5982]

Same I watch these while I’m playing Fifa lol

[@dodihassan6176]

TwoSync Fan lol same

[@joaquinmunoz7096]

@@billygates5982 ong 😂

[@Svirgo19]

@@HITCSevens can I do the podcast as well with you

[@tdyerwestfield]

Zidane is highly regarded because he was a big game player. His best performances were in the latter stages of World Cups and in finals. In standard league games, he wasn't much of a feature.

[@middlewayers]

What about Gerd Müller...his record in big games is insane

[@shanewright2772]

Arguments from statistics about human performance always lack perspective on the individual. Zizou was not a great footballer because of goals, or assists or whatever folderol he did or did not collect in various farmer's leagues - he was a great footballer because he was one of the last, big, hairy-balled strutters who took the game by the scruff of the neck, terrified the opposition and made games run purely to his will, before the sanitization, wimpification and genericization of football became complete. And, as in most things in life where they are trying to extinguish every aspect the reflects masculinity, the media is terrified of dealing with a legacy "tainted" by Zizou's unapologetic asskickingness. So maybe he wasnt great in statistics, but when players are all stage trained zombies and over coddled man-children, as they are becoming, he'll be one of the few dim an receding lights we'll look back on and say "Football used to be better'' And yes, I do miss Norman Hunter.

[@hhhfggg2969]

@@shanewright2772 for me zizou is top 5 ever, he’s like scholes he dominates games but isn’t a stat padder, he’s never going to rival cr7 or Messi for stats because of the way he played, he’s the best maestro the games ever seen, his ability to control games is unrivalled in my opinion.

[@jakkaxn5513]

@@hhhfggg2969 zidane is one of the greatest player of all time. Zidane is more of a artist and clutch player

[@jakkaxn5513]

@@middlewayers he is one of the greatest players of all time most of them never rated him highly coz he never had a technical ability of zidane

[@olayinkaamara385]

You should do this more often, looks like a good idea for future videos.

[@Selfpaid96]

I’m a few days or weeks older than you and Zidane was a joy to watch growing up especially his performance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

[@simonbernau3705]

I really like these kind of longer essay like videos. Loved to see more

[@Tonipp99]

Players from the late 90’s and early 2000’s seem the quite overrated in general. I’m guessing it’s because that generation of fans was the first one to be able to watch all leagues on TV and therefore they look back on those players very fondly.

[@lucagiacometti27]

If you think Zidane is overrated imagine Beckham

[@Tonipp99]

Luca Giacometti Don’t even start me on Becks son...

[@The_Duude99]

@@lucagiacometti27 nah. Unlike Zidane you don't see people ranking Beckham among goat lists.

[@thefootballdoge5006]

Imagine Michael Owen winning a Ballon d’Or... oh wait

[@kiambo1601]

Also known as:People from the 80s are quite stupid

[@tahahadada1936]

I came here 8 monthes ago and am back again, just shows how the quality of your content is magnifying

[@Beanie1605]

I enjoyed the composition of this video in terms of your narrative. Only a true fan can write a critique so damning and spot on. Consider expanding this into an article if you haven't already. Great job!

[@ethandavis961]

Insightful video! I learned a lot

[@hellowalkman4506]

I think Ronaldinho also deserves a video like this since for some reason many football fans have a much higher opinion of him than what I believe he deserves. Also, make a video comparing Pelé and Messi since you consider them the 2 GoAT candidates.

[@asakhexulu4101]

The reason why is because ronaldinho was the first genuine global star in football

[@hellowalkman4506]

@@asakhexulu4101 LMFAO

[@asakhexulu4101]

@@hellowalkman4506 its true

[@chemaxote]

@@asakhexulu4101 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYO2dXqVaZV0o6M

[@4zafinc]

@@asakhexulu4101 Pele was the first global star long before Ronaldinho was born. Heck had football been telecast globally in his era, Di Stefano would've been as well. Where do y'all get these insane ideas?

[@hazieerulharun803]

Form is temporary, class is permanent

[@habibrehman6169]

“World Cup final against Barcelona”

[@mrnoahgamer6565]

People need to look at the pre assist stat thats real playmaking

[@DivMuzza]

Do a video on Del Piero. Criminally underrated.

[@fabriziogarreta7160]

DivMuzza for sure he carried juventus not zidane

[@josehurtado5584]

He was an amazing player at Juve, just pretty mediocre with Italy (only 2 goals at wc, 1 goal at euro, missed many chances in the euro 2000 final and was never included in a Team of the Tournament in any euro or wc meaning he was never that important for Italy) still an absolute legend

[@josehurtado5584]

@Juan José Oñate my apologies mate, maybe not mediocre with Italy but not as impressive as he was with Juventus

[@TurboGauchiste]

Calcio poli

[@liammurty]

You’re absolutely AT IT.

[@kevinjean7704]

He was basically the ultimate prime time player, when everybody is watching then he would play he's best game in the champions league, world cups, euros and great derbys, not against relegation threaten teams, newly promoted, average team or lower league teams in cup competitions.

[@ahmedhasan4602]

He literally addresses this issue In Zidane's 5 seasons at Real he only won the league once, its these matches against weak teams where he has to show his 100% for Real to get all 3 points and challenge for the league. if Zidane was consistent then Real would have probably won 2 or 3 more and Zidane wouldn't be dubbed inconsistent and might be considered an all-time great

[@ahmedhasan4602]

If you want Alfie's explanation then go to 6:45-9:18

[@elitesam7789]

Internationally, yes? But at club level, hard to say. Considering he bottled 2 UCL finals among other club competitions he could have won despite having great teams. But what HITC is saying is, all great players did that too and still played well on a normal day. Delima, Pele, Ronaldo, Messi etc.

[@kehinderufai7498]

I don't even agree that Zidane was greater than Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.

[@Ivanmaradonaaa]

You're wrong then hahaha. Not better than Xavi and Iniesta Damn

[@kehinderufai7498]

Maybe he was rather more joyous than Xavi, but the duo's influence, consistency, and sustained brilliance at the highest level make them footballing titans worthy of more recognition.

[@kehinderufai7498]

@@Ivanmaradonaaa Look at the manner in which they dominated games continuously...have you ever seen something like that? Zidane did not have the consistency to match his talent, so you cannot rank him above players who were not only similar to him, but were far more consistent.

[@yankeewz8377]

Although ur speaking facts. It is However an unpopular opinion unfortunately. Xavi & iniesta were more consistent & efficient but people only rate zizou higher bcoz he was dominant in big matches

[@kehinderufai7498]

@@yankeewz8377 True.

[@JaimeGarcia-oz5fh]

For so many legends 2006 was their last World Cup

[@notreubensandwich]

Great video!! Never understood how people could compare him to likes of Messi, Cruyff etc

[@Ranti3434]

Nicely put....

[@scenelife3168]

you should do a "how good was _________ actually" series.

[@sebesoozlo]

I agree, if not, please pull down the video

[@AJ-lh4fp]

I’m glad to to see a big account like yours finally say this. Zidane, although an absolute legend, is rated ridiculously high by people who don’t really look too deep into the history of football and seriously factor in things like consistency. I don’t see him as a top 20 player at all. great video

[@AI-tc8fv]

When you started talking about the volley Vs Leverkusen I had to pause the video to go and appreciate it again

[@michaeltrumph121]

1 goal does not change how overrated he is

[@emmanuelgarnier7135]

I enjoy those pieces quite a bit. You should consider doing a podcast like someone else in the comments suggested. I think that format would benefit those essays.

[@a.20ali81]

i was waiting for a video like this for a long time and thank you for spreading the facts

[@olayinkaamara385]

Alfie, what would you consider to be an all time great in football terms, the top 100 to 150 of all time and who would say is the last player to make the cut of point as an all time great? I've always found it a hard term to define and what would you say is the difference between a football legend and an all time great?

[@yurhomi4478]

Olayinka Amara a legend is someone with acclaim who has high esteem amongst ‘fans’. An all time great may not be regarded in this same manner but has the skill set and accolades to validate their status.

[@zemonteiro1486]

Thanks that's actually a really brave opinion to share these days. Young people now seem to overrate a lot of retired footballers just because they watched youtube videos of him or because they heard people talking about them. Zidane is one of those guys who regularly gets over praised by kids who have never even watched a single game of him. And he's not the only one. Players like Kaká and Drogba are seen as some of the best footballers of all time just because the young community thinks it's cool to hate on current players and say that they will never reach the feats of those so called legends. I'm not hating on Kaká or Drogba or Zidane or other players that feature on this category but I just think it's super disrespectful for people who have never seen those "untouchable legends" play to say that they are miles ahead of certain other players. Sure these 3 that I mentioned were world class but they aren't even near Ronaldo or Messi and other greats of the game. One example of this is a pole that I saw in the other day about who was the best striker of this decade. Some of the nominees were Suarez, Lewandowski, Aguero and also... Drogba. A guy who in 10 years only played 3 seasons in a top 5 league (not to mention that he didn't do that great since he was already old). And who do you think won the poll? Of course fucking Didier won it with like 65% of the votes. It's actually insane to kids these days to think that he was better than some of the top strikers of this generation. Sure he had that amazing final and he was an outstanding player but I don't think he would even make a top 30 list of best strikers of all time. Nowadays we can all watch those youtube videos and think that those retired players were perfect since there aren't any videos showing their flaws. With current players we can all watch them live on TV and see an occasional bad game or mistakes that they make and thing to ourselves: "These guys aren't even near the level of the goats of the past". And it's super annoying to argue with someone about this since they will call you a kid that knows nothing about football.

[@alstonmeade6455]

I'm old enough to have watched Pele play in person while in high school. To me Zidane is the greatest midfielder of his generation and definitely an all-time great.

[@robertmason6366]

Great video and I agree. But its the way he plays...its pure poetry

[@samchik8246]

Zizou was the one who made me fall in love woth football!! ⚽️❤

[@jameswalker6864]

Zidane is the GOAT. He who always appears in the most relevant matches. He has scored crucial goals both in the Champions League final and the World up final, something Mradona, Pele, Messi, Crisiano or Ronaldo can't say.

[@valenluca3253]

James walker cope

[@behindyou6146]

@@jameswalker6864 WC maybe not. But scoring crucial UCL goals is practically in Ronaldo’s job description at this point.

[@behindyou6146]

@@jameswalker6864 also Zidane isn’t even in the goat conversation, it’s the truth. He isn’t even the best French midfielder of all time.

[@sweetswan391]

@@behindyou6146 who is then?

[@AE01HD]

Make a video about Di Stefano

[@PossiblyGenii]

@@WinWall3227 so is every player who played before 1990. Charlie Adam would be a beast in the fiftys and pele would be lower prem team at most

[@zonk4817]

@@PossiblyGenii Charlie Adam is a beast?

[@osobear4365]

@@WinWall3227 He would be decent? Think about it this way kid, if he had all the technology and all the knowledge that we have today he would have been an.absolute monster. He already was, but Ronaldo and Messi levels for sure.

[@justhuy7960]

@@PossiblyGenii Yeah than my grandchildren would be a beast around 2010s

[@arielayo]

I love videos like this

[@domhuckle]

I think it was his grace and fluid movement that marks him out. Longevity of greatness and impressive stats can move people up the GOAT list, but there has to be room for some unquantifiable dynamic, the capacity for godliness, that players like Zidane possessed. They even made a film about him: A 20th century portrait

[@noname52768]

Dennis bergkamp had better grace in my opinion

[@shepardice3775]

I don't know that there has to be if you can't sustain it. Messi has that capacity for godliness, for playing a sort of football that you cannot believe is possible, but what makes him the GOAT is the fact that he _sustained_ that level of performance for 15+ years. If he'd only reached that level at his peak for a few months at a time we would not consider him the greatest to ever play. You need more than just ability you need to consistently demonstrate it.

[@mottahead6464]

I'm Brazilian : Zidane made us cry twice while beating our Selecao twice in World Cups. (And I can't recall any other player doing that).

[@phelbefa]

Mottahead Toni Kroos made Brazilians cry twice in 5 Minutes😂

[@mottahead6464]

@@phelbefa I count that as 1 match, dude - yet, okay. Maybe you got me on that one.

[@mbarek8026]

@@mottahead6464 I'm french and i feel sorry, " désolé " like we say.

[@berislavmatasic8456]

Philip Greif You beat me to it

[@zicob2536]

7-1

[@Digggyyyyy]

I get that he wasn't as consistent at scoring/assisting as some other greats, but Zizou just made other great players look like kids at times. Nobody could deal with him when he was on form. I think in terms of absolute peak form, I'd take him over almost anyone. He was definitely my favourite player ever to watch.

[@michaeltrumph121]

In terms of absolute peak form, the likes of R9, R10, Pele, Zico, Maradona, Best, Messi - they all are lightyears in front of Zidane.

[@dwighthayles1226]

@Digggyyyyy This is my problem with football today. You have to score goals to be considered a GOAT how many defenders would be considered GOAT who never score or assist. For me saying Zidane isn't a GOAT for me means that I should just start following other sports.

[@thatt-shirtguy9669]

@@michaeltrumph121 lightyears you say? With all the goals he's scored, how many goals has he scored in the 4 World Cups he's played in? How many times did he score in a WC final? How many national trophies has he singlehandedly won for Argentina? How many times has he won the Champions league without Iniesta or Xavi playing along side him? Don't worry I'll wait.

[@michaeltrumph121]

@@thatt-shirtguy9669 I mentioned 7 players. I assume you are referring to Messi. Well, in his case, it's quite simple. In terms of club career, ZZ is a joke compared to him. And even in terms of international career, he has contributed more to his team than ZZ to France. Messi has scored and assisted far more for his country than ZZ for France. Messi's main problem is that he's mentally weak and chockes on the big occasions. But ZZ is no better, since he also has a dreadful record in major finals. With the exception of Euro 2000, where he played well, ZZ was not instrumental for the success of France in any other major events. And btw, I'm no fan of Messi and to me he's nowhere near the top 3 all time. However, hes definitely top 10 all time and far superior to ZZ. ZZ is not even top 20 all time.

[@thatt-shirtguy9669]

@@michaeltrumph121 Messi has never been a world champion, never even been considered a South American champion, and yet according to your logic Messi has contributed more to Argentina than Zizou has to France. LMFAO!!! Zizou has scored in 2 WC finals. Messi has scored 6 in FOUR world cups, Zizou has 5 in THREE world Cups, three of 'em being in finals. Remember when Messi helped Argentina to victory against Germany in the WC Finals? Oh wait! Sorry, how about the two times against Chile? Oh wait! Sorry again. Rumor has it NASA is still tracking one of his penalty kicks. LMFAO!!

[@TheNoirAlien]

Rating the best players by decade would an educational video.

[@DD-goat]

Please may you do one about Adriano; his rise and fall? And also more historical videos?

[@danielkakai2877]

zidane is a legend because he played well in big games

[@michaeltrumph121]

Actually Zidane faltered in most big games and only showed up in very few of them.

[@jasonoppong4874]

@@michaeltrumph121 You are just categorically a Zidane hater

[@michaeltrumph121]

@@jasonoppong4874 No, I'm just pointing out the truth. He's somehow credited as a "big game player" even though he only showed up for 2 finals in his whole career, and went invisible in most of the others: 1996 UEFA cup final - invisible, gets destroyed at home, team loses 1997 CL final - invisible, his team loss (the same team that had won it in 1996 without him) 1998 CL final - invisible, his team loses 1998 WC final - clutch, scores 2 headers from set pieces after being average the entire tournament, team wins 2000 Euro final - invisible, team wins because he's bailed out by Wiltord and Trezeguet (Zidane not involved in their goals) 2002 CL final - clutch, team wins 2002 CdR final - invisible, team loses 2004 CdR final - invisible, team loses against a lower mid table side 2006 WC final - chokes and gets sent off, team loses

[@fabriziogarreta7160]

Michael Trumph the 98 final was also shadey

[@michaeltrumph121]

@@fabriziogarreta7160 I know. IMO Brazil threw the match away.

[@Sri-wg3ne]

I'm 27, and growing up I absolutely idolized Zidane, copied his style(even looks), collected his merchandise, crazily consumed all videos of him, etc. Only a few years back did I actually come out of the Zizou trance and rationalized the picture of him. I can still safely say that he is still in my top 5.

[@michaeltrumph121]

He barely makes top 20 all time.

[@cherissemayers6031]

Why are you gae?

[@TheMaulam12345]

u shaved your top hair too? lol

[@Sri-wg3ne]

@@TheMaulam12345 That hasn't been necessary for me because nature and genetics itself removed it for me lol

[@blackwaterproduction289]

@@michaeltrumph121 HAhahahahahaha

[@jasonjansen9831]

All time lists are always difficult because comparing players from different eras is basically impossible.

[@encikharith]

Majestic! Honestly don't care about him being included in that or this list. All I know is he won the WC for France, and the CL for Real Madrid. Didn't have the greatest ending of playing careers, but definitely started his coaching one with a bang!

[@implive17]

Whoever says Zidane is not a goat contender has to hook me up with their weed dealer.

[@michaeltrumph121]

Nope, you do. He's not even top 20 of all time.

[@pcs54]

@@michaeltrumph121 no he is definitely top 20/10. Id put him 8th after messi c.ronaldo pele maradona cruyff beckenbauer ronaldo.

[@augustfelix2951]

He wasn't even the best player in real Madrid at the time, Figo, Raul, Ronaldo were more consistent and could really hurt the opposition ......

[@milosilic23]

@@augustfelix2951 what makes a player best ever? Goals? Clean sheets? Trophies? For me, Maradona is a bigger player than Messi because he won trophies with Napoli instead of say Milan or Juventus, AND won the World Cup singlehandedly. But if you go by the goal metric, Messi is worlds better than Maradona... For me, Zidane is in the top 10. No doubt. Best ever? Not sure.

[@augustfelix2951]

@@milosilic23 performance in the regular season and turning up consistently in big games. Zidane did not perform well enough in across seasons, he was a very big game player. It could be argued that Zidane made other players better, but so does Messi, and so does CR7. Zidane was a great player but not an all-time great, a poor mans Platini.

[@jeswinjames5986]

9:50 didn't know Barca played in the 1998 WC final

[@kelsoar]

True that I still remember his aura and how he affected the opposing players unfortunately I just saw highlights of their most remarkable moments and yes you are right we will have this bias towards zizou because we remember his aura also something all fifa games can't capture the aura of the great players

[@carpediem5510]

A Legend 💚💚

[@DangerousPython]

His goal return was shockingly low at Juventus. It does help that watching Juventus were difficult to watch and most just remember those France performances and love him for that

[@soulsmischief2626]

bullhit. zidane juventus was the best juventus. its more than just goals

[@handzar6402]

Nonsense. For one, Zidane was never responsible for goals. He had people like Del Piero, Boksic, Inzaghi, Trezeguet, etc.. who did that while he was at Juve. Secondly, back then, in Serie A, scoring a lot of goals just didn't happen. It was an insanely difficult league with some of the best players to ever play the game. Put Messi and Cristiano there and they would struggle to bag 20 goals a season...

[@dietwater4620]

0 ball knowledge

[@simonforrest2522]

I'm a major Zizou fan but this video just had to be made and i agree entirely even though it feels strange to me as he was such a genius

[@joshuagraham50]

9:52. Barcelona in the world cup 😭😂. Love the content tho. Keep it up 👍👍👍

[@jackwilliamsmith8734]

A sensible analysis

[@ramonolalla1]

Can you do a video on Fernando Redondo? Thanks

[@patrickotshumbe4201]

Brilliant and perhaps the best holding midfielder of his generation and say this as a Barca fan

[@VideoAssistantRafi]

One of the best Argentine players ever

[@fuyuko1011]

3:50 Alfie did a Vsauce here and my day has been made xD

[@jasonfleischer3622]

A brilliant video! A great watch!

[@mattd-g9113]

video idea: longest commutes in football. (Perth Glory to Wellington Phoenix)

[@LordOfTheBored]

I think the problem is that unlike other attacking midfielders his primary role was not to finish or to assist but to create attacks meaning he was not the one that scored (ridiculous by the way to criticise that he hasn´t scored too often) but the one who initiated attacks by overcoming the defensive midfielders of the opposite teams. (Not a good comparison but I´d say the role of an 8 instead of a 10 in modern teams) Knowing that his tactical role was a significant other than the one of let´s say Cruyff or Maradona and of course despite his abilities with the ball less spectacular what you say in the vid is just not right. Of course you can argue if he his among the top 10 of greatest players of all times but you can not compare apples with pears and in order to fairly judge him you have to take his tactical role especially in the Real years into consideration.

[@09thespecialone]

BS. The great Platini, actually the true best French player of all times, used to assist and score a lot. He was a number 10 too. It has nothing to do with the pitch's position. Zidane was good, but not that good (as the likes of Pele, Maradona, R9, CR7, Messi, Cruyff, Zico, Platini...)

[@matthiasmccormack3213]

You had me till you said he should be more in the conversation for someone like Iniesta

[@EagleEyes77]

Thanks. I idolize Zizou though, but you have made a great point

[@acehighjohn1759]

Fantastic vid, well thought through and put together also fair imo.

[@Olddirtytiger]

Sergio Aguero rise would be good vid , I remember watching him on channel 5 when they showed Argentine football he was ripping defences apart at 15/16 for Indepndite (I think their called) and always wanted him in Europe, I remember I sent Wenger an email to sign him 😂 if only

[@simokojamesphiri7924]

9:50 His Brace against Barcelona in the World Cup Final XD

[@tiagooliveira6828]

Couldnt agree more! Great video!

[@jozefable]

I really like your videos but you do bloody go on in your intros 😂

[@uchibenkei]

HITC has put more thought into his opinion than i bet most fanboys have. i always saw zidane as one of those players who shines for country but not as much for club. one of the all-time greats, but not the all-time greatest.

[@Bennmoha]

You know what you convinced me . I’ve always admired Zidane and till recently as of 2014 maybe I thought Ronaldo and Messi have overtaken him as the all time greatest but I’d put him third . Now that I’ve seen this video I think you made multiple good points and successfully changed my mind . Zidane was a great player but he doesn’t make it to top 5 players of all times

[@DR-uq4hn]

Muneer AL.Shiabani he’s top 5 in my book. But I’ll put Ronaldo phenomeno ahead of him. My top 3 for GOAT Ronaldo phenomeno Messi & Maradona (not in order) then Cruyff then Zidane in 5th with Ronaldinho 6th.

[@vb2388]

My picks would be.. 1. Messi 2. Maradona 3. Pele 4. Cruyff 5. Di Stefano 6. R9 7. Cr7 8. Beckenbauer 9. Puskas 10. Platini

[@asifshahriar4503]

@@vb2388 Stephano at 4,Cr7 at 5 and cruyff at 6. otherwise i agree

[@yvans.]

Vachan Cristiano is at least top 5 don’t be biased...

[@buggydclown7724]

Vachan why do you rate cr7 that low?

[@mikeysyke]

This is broken down perfectly

[@renetreur4607]

I just started this video but Im hoping Dennis Bergkamp will get a mention ( not saying he's better than Zidane or Ronaldo, the biggest stars of that time)

[@simokojamesphiri7924]

7:45 -7:51 that sounds like an assessment of Zidane's current Real Madrid team

[@JD-hx7yd]

Yeah that might be a reflection of Zidane. They tear apart the CL but don't do the same in La Liga, at least compared to Barca.

[@siyabongakunene5052]

HITC is one of the best KZbin channels out there and I enjoy the content very much but I wholly disagree with this view on Zidane. He deserves to be considered one of the best because he out perform all others in the apex competition of football. Whether it be the Champions League, the Euros, the World Cup, La Liga or Serie A, Zidane's impact was there for all to see. He, alongside Ronaldo Nazario were the best players of their generation. At club level he didn't win a glut of trophies like Messi and Ronaldo because these two players are simply freaks of nature and they have achieved feats unthought of previously. Zidane is definitely not the GOAT but he cannot be denied his rightful place in the discussion of all time greats. Remember he was one headbutt away from winning a second World Cup in a tournament where he was definitely the best player.

[@omarCr7kaka]

That monologue goes on forever

[@olusojimarsh8539]

This video just settled an argument in an 18 member WhatsApp group. May your hot takes continue for decades to come, good sir.

[@miraisam]

More research needs to be done prior to making such a video. For instance, 1) Consistency - European Sports Media comes out with monthly player XIs for club football games and Zidane has the highest appearances for an attacking player from his era in those. To compare, Messi and CRonaldo are the players with the most appearances in this era. 2) Real Madrid - Zidane had great players surrounding him but all were past their primes by the time he had finished a couple of seasons for the team. When this was followed by Real Madrid sacking Del Bosque and selling their best CB and DM, Zidane alone couldn't turn the team around. 3) Juve and Madrid fan perception - Zidane was never the man around which these teams built their squads for various off-field reasons, so he would never have the same level of admiration as players like Del Piero/Raul who were effectively homegrown and thus the focus of the team 4) Big game player - Zidane has in 23 International tournament Final and Semifinal appearances for club and country, around 20 goal participations including 10 goals, 5 assists and 5 pre-assists/pks won as a midfielder. That's a ratio that guys like CRonaldo, Messi, etc. have. 5) Big game performances - Zidane's performances in his team's major tournament exits are typically underrated while his opponent's are overrated. For instance, in the 99 CL SF Zidane had an assist in the 2nd leg and was not bothered much by Keane yet the narrative is the opposite. 6) Zidane Assists - Your assist stats are off. Zidane has over 175 assists for both club and country. His assist numbers are not recorded correctly, due to those numbers not being considered important by statisticians during most of his playing career. 7) Zidane Goals - Zidane was not a primary pk or fk taker for his clubs apart from his time at Bordeaux (when he was the primary fk taker) and his country prior to 2000, otherwise his goal numbers would be significantly higher since in 4 seasons he had Platini's Juventus fk nos for Bordeaux.

[@siyabongakunene5052]

Thank you.

[@davidvestermark3804]

Agree with pretty much all of that (I'm 32 and watched regular football since '94). Thank you for a great video. Only criticism, how did he score twice against Barcelona in a world cup final? 😜

[@alfansuhandi5658]

I have a dream That someday i could explain any specific issue(s) from my footballing perspective, as good and comprehensive as you, young man. Or should i say, master.... send my hello from Lombok island, Indonesia.

[@hugoloven04]

Wow, a brace against Barcelona in the 1998 World cup final, incredible

[@Maximilian-Robespierre]

Bro, I cant even bother answering seriously

[@Slim-MMA]

Thank you, finally someone who understands the game and can put their emotions aside when arguing about who the greatest is.

[@jackbridge5780]

when Alfie said about players scoring when it mattered most, as a chelsea fan i instantly thought of drogbas record in finals, id love a list of seven best or highest scoring players in finals. lol i put that before he showed the vid he already made, TY alfiie

[@msalih10]

He would be one of my top picks and I would not question it for a second.

[@tomasgouveia2277]

Could you do one of these types of videos for football in the 90s I think it had so many gr8t players that just seem to be overlooked like Baggio, Laudrup, Figo, Hagi, Romario, Rui Costa, Davids,Del Piero amongst many many others

[@footballnotsooccer600]

Roberto baggio> zidane sad that he was so underrated.

[@jakekavanagh08]

PLATINI

[@dsanchez9703]

Ima Baggio and Hagi fan tooo!

[@g.j.mmakau8578]

Totally agreed as a France and Real Madrid fan. He disappeared a lot in games it was insane even for the NT. In 98 he wasn't his best and even got reds but shows up against Brazil with x2 headers to win the WC. In 2006 disciplinary issues again in group stages and final. He made a career off 3 things. Elegance in style of play, few big game goals and NT exploits. He could easily be replaced by many other CAMs of his generation to the same effect. This is why Madrid did ok with Sneijder and Guti after and Juve with Nedved after his sale.

[@sauravkumar3278]

There was a movie called little zizou You should watch it.. I think it's time for top 7 football movies , include documentary as well if you want.. I will watch them

[@timoravageisPro]

My only skepticism is, how do you know how consistent were Púskas or Di Stefano? You can only judge a players consistency if you watch them week in week out. I love the vid anyways!

[@HITCSevens]

It's a valid point, Timo, and with most players all you can do is read contemporary reports and weigh up whether or not you believe them as with any historical account. I would say, with the two you've mentioned, the fact that they scored in almost every game would imply a sense of consistency if nothing else though!

[@georgefalconer9470]

Goals!!!

[@mrnoahgamer6565]

This is true but he has to be one of the greatest players at international level

[@michaeltrumph121]

Zidane is the most overrated footballer of all time, he's not even top 20 all time.

[@kip8230]

All the fanboys are disliking because you spoke the truth. Sad...

[@zayyaanahmed9148]

isnt the truty

[@paulkerry1555]

The problem with ranking players is players are not ranked accordingly to their positions. Like goal keepers, defenders and so on. That's why mostly strikers are ranked as great players but what about the rest of the team position s??

[@bidhancb]

Fair Enough Mate.

[@markjones562]

I agree he was a great player deffinatly top 20 but he didn’t score enough goals got his icon card on Fifa and see how bad his goal record was he was a attacking midfielder he was more of a team man who brought out the beat in those around him when he scored he scored a screamer like that volley it was like he had to score goals like that being the type of player he was a great for sure but top 10 sadly not

[@TheNjackets]

Never heard anyone call Zidane the GOAT he always seems to get rated where he should be as Top 15 player.

[@09thespecialone]

Top 15 for him, it's still too much.

[@77_ACE.]

​@09thespecialone now you just chatting shit

[@MattijnPlayz]

Thank you for this video and spitting truth

[@pranavs6284]

Fair enough!!

[@ankitkumar-qe4zh]

This video proves why Barcelona is the greatest club ever. They played in the world cup final while other clubs can't even qualify for wc.

[@radking9854]

XD

[@jos9559]

I remember asking if you'd make a video about this a year ago, but you anticipated too much backlash for it. hope this works out alright

[@Alex00789]

What is your top 10 best technical players ever?

[@jmcan21]

Damn Barca was in the 1998 world cup final 😨