Is this man the ultimate artist?

COMPARISONS are too subjective to be meaningful in a football sense — much more instructive and rewarding to celebrate genius in its own right.

The pre-eminent role of Zinedine Zidane in the affairs of French football inevitably invites comparisons with the giants of the past the legendary Raymond Kopa and the brilliant Michel Platini.

It is an exercise that will not be pursued here, if for no other reason than it is enough to enjoy the moment and the latest extravagant feat of the incomparable Zidane.