Eze names Zidane and Ronaldinho as heroes ahead of his first World Cup

Eberechi Eze has named Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho as the two players who inspired him most, speaking ahead of his first World Cup appearance with England at the 2026 tournament in North America.

The Crystal Palace and England midfielder recalled watching the 2006 World Cup as a child and said both players remain a source of inspiration to this day. “I would say the first one I remember is 2006,” Eze said. “Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho: I think those two are the main guys that come to mind. They’ve been people that I’ve looked up to for a long time. Even now, I still watch their YouTube videos, so I get so much joy, inspiration watching them play and the feeling that they brought to so many.”

When the comparison between Eze himself and the two free-roaming playmakers was put to him, the England star was quick to acknowledge the weight of the parallel. “That’s a massive compliment,” he said. “I feel like that’s something that, yeah, I’d love to be able to resemble. Those are people that have inspired me from young, so of course you take things from them, you learn things from them: how they walk, how they operate on the pitch, how they smile with every action. I feel like they’re special characters who have definitely helped shape me.”

Eze will link up with the England squad slightly later than some of his international teammates, having been involved in club commitments alongside Arsenal players Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke following the Champions League final. England’s opening game at the tournament falls next week.

The 26-year-old is set to make his World Cup debut having established himself as one of the more creative and technically gifted players in Gareth Southgate’s — and now his successor’s — England setups. His admiration for Zidane and Ronaldinho, two of the most expressive footballers of their generation, offers a window into the style he has long sought to bring to the international stage.