Real Madrid’s biggest star currently is wearing the number 5 shirt, and it is all thanks to Zinedine Zidane. Not only did Zidane meet with Jude Bellingham to recommend he sign for Real Madrid at the Champions League final in 2022, but the fact the Frenchman, who was Bellingham’s idol, wore that shirt inspired Bellingham to do the same. Why exactly did Zidane wear it though?
“It was weird to see another 10 wearing number 5,” Lionel Messi commented to Zidane at a recent sponsor event for Adidas. “You made the 5 important.”
Having told Messi just how good he thought the Argentine was, Zidane proceeded to explain why he wore it.
“A central midfielder with the 5, a bit strange no? But you know what happened with that, he doesn’t like a player wearing 25 or 30 at all. 35… No, he was from a different era, from the old times when it was 1 to 11 and that was it.”
“So Sanchis, he left his shirt, a defender who was at Real Madrid, and the President said to me, ‘no, no, I would like you to take a number between 1 and 10,’ and I said to him, ‘yes, yes, I’ll take the 5.”
“Because he didn’t want me to have 25 or 30, and he said to me ‘that’s not football, that’s American football.”
“In the end it wasn’t much of a choice,” Messi chuckled.
“He said to me ‘please’, and I thought, it’s the first day, I’m going to say yes.”
“But in the end, the 5 for me, it’s a strong feeling, because it’s history for me, you know.”
Bellingham commented in the summer on his arrival that he wanted to wear the 5 because he had grown up watching Zidane on YouTube, but was clear that he wanted to create his own story with the shirt and make it his too. Now it is one of the most cherished in Real Madrid history.
Joshwill1123
720
Since the introduction of var we all know who stopped attending the ballon d’or
Iffy106
589
Zidane is like a father to Jude Bellingham this boy is gonna make his own history too with this number. Hala Madrid the greatest Club of all time
malablata
522
13yrs old Messi before the growth hormone injection........ Uhhh, this life. 😂
Victor_Not_Osimhen
465
Zidane made the No 5 iconic Pele, Maradona Ronaldinho, Messi made the No 10 a gem Luiz Figo, Ronaldo, David Villa made the No 7 great True football Legends
DS36
336
Ask him of Chelsea's Jersey number 9. I want to see something
Coyabceopt
311
ronaldo must be crying with his mother and sister ....Zidane recognize the best in history
malablata
196
“Because he didn’t want me to have 25 or 30, and he said to me ‘that’s not football, that’s American football.”😂😂😂😂😂 Zidane had mocked the Ballon D'or thief😂😂😂
JoyNg01
169
The LEGEND and his regene💎🤍🔥
amartious2000
135
GOAT Messi, the infinity wore number 30 out of respect for a friend in PSG.
PeDri08
8
He was the first to figure out the level of corruption and Biased Minds of the Balon D’or Officials,and as a result had to stop attending the fucking Ceremony….Check his Interview to hear his reason….
yes the biased and corrupt people don't want someone to be scoring offside goals in champions league anymore, keep crying
urbanliam16
8
“Because he didn’t want me to have 25 or 30, and he said to me ‘that’s not football, that’s American football.”😂😂😂😂😂 Zidane had mocked the Ballon D'or thief😂😂😂
funny how you don't know there's American football and soccer. go process a passport boy.