Get Zinedine Zidane out on the pitch with normal footballers and it immediately becomes clear that he is not a normal man. The 47-year-old has that je ne sais quoi of a genius, and it's impossible for him to hold back — his every touch is a work of art.
Pulling off a nutmeg is exhilarating. Executing back-to-back megs is the stuff of legend. Three straight is unheard of. Four? That’s too outlandish for Hollywood. M. Night Shyamalan would slap you for even thinking something so preposterous.
But over in the Israeli Premier League, it’s just been done. The mad lad that probably deserves arresting is Maccabi Netanya’s Fatos Bećiraj. The 30-year-old Montenegrin striker redefined holdup play with this five-second display of savagery.
The haters can hate, but Major League Soccer can put on a show. And this 2018 MLS skills video the league put out ahead of the 2019 season has it all.
It starts with an elastico. It’s got Cruyff turns, Zidane roulettes, sombreros and nutmegs. So many nutmegs.
Do yourself a favor and spend the 4:33 it takes to watch this video and try not to get too excited about the upcoming 2019 season, which will feature plenty more of Zlatan.