Former Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez has said that the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Xavi were no match for him in his prime.

James rose to stardom for his performances at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, notching eight goal involvements (six goals, two assists) for Colombia at the tournament. 

He became the first player to score in every single game he played in at the World Cup since Jairzinho did so for Brazil at the 1970 edition.

James picked up the Golden Boot at the tournament as Colombia were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Brazil, though missed out on the Golden Ball to Lionel Messi. 

The Colombian's performances attracted the attention of Madrid, who completed a reported £63million deal to secure his services from Ligue 1 side Monaco. 

James would go on to make 125 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos, only 94 of which were from the start, scoring 37 goals and notching 42 assists. 

He went on to win nine major honours with Madrid, including the Champions League in 2015-16 and 2016-17, before being sent out on loan to Bayern Munich. 

James eventually left Madrid in 2020, and enjoyed spells at Everton, Olympiacos and Rayo Vallecano, but now plays his football in Mexico with Leon. 

But when questioned about his time in the Spanish capital, Rodriguez believed that at the peak of his powers, he was better than some Galacticos. 

"Zidane was very good. In his prime he won the World Cup, but… James. In my prime, James," he said. He repeated the same response when asked to pick between himself and Modric, Kroos, and Xavi.

Nueva semana, una nueva oportunidad. pic.twitter.com/waI65FbLFn

— James Rodríguez (@jamesdrodriguez) March 11, 2025

James also tipped current Madrid talisman, Jude Bellingham, to lift the prestigious Ballon d'Or one day because of his excellent displays since joining the club. 

Having helped Madrid to Champions League and LaLiga glory in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, Bellingham finished third in the rankings, one place behind team-mate Vinicius Junior as Manchester City's Rodri scooped the award.

Since making the move to Madrid, Bellingham has registered 34 goals and 24 assists in 81 appearances across all competitions, with his debut campaign seeing him notch 36 goal involvements (23 goals, 13 assists) for Carlo Ancelotti's side. 

Following James' displays in 2014, he finished eighth in the Ballon d'Or voting but acknowledged he was up against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. 

"I scored more than 14 goals and 15 assists, I think. It was a spectacular year, similar to the year Bellingham had in his first season. I really like the way he plays," he said. 

"I think he could win a Ballon d'Or. Of course, to win the Ballon d'Or, I had Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi, [Luis] Suarez, Neymar... in 2014. 

"I finished eighth, with these greats ahead of me. Yes, I would have liked to win the Ballon d'Or. I came close, but it's true that I was more focused on winning titles like the Champions League."