Sami Khedira praises a ‘genius’ Real Madrid player who he believes was more ‘exceptional’ than Cristiano Ronaldo, but the club sold him too soon.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has revealed that he considered one of his former teammates more “special” than Cristiano Ronaldo, though the player made a “mistake” by leaving the club.

Khedira, now 37, enjoyed a highly successful stint at Real Madrid, winning major trophies like La Liga, two Copa del Rey titles, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup during his five-year tenure. He was also part of Germany’s victorious 2014 World Cup squad, although he missed the final due to an injury sustained in the warm-up.

Having shared the pitch with numerous football legends, Khedira reflected on the unique talents of his compatriot Mesut Özil. Despite playing alongside Ronaldo during the Portuguese star’s peak years at Madrid and later at Juventus, Khedira described Özil as the most “special” player he had ever played with.

In an interview with Marca, Khedira explained: “Cristiano was the man to win games; he never failed. If we needed a goal, the ball went to Cristiano. But for me, the most special player was Mesut Özil. He was an absolute genius, a magician. When he left, we all questioned Florentino [Perez]: ‘Why are you selling him?’ Even players like Benzema, Cristiano, and Ramos were upset.”

Khedira praised Özil’s extraordinary skill: “I played behind him, and even a bad pass would look perfect because of how he controlled the ball. His class and quality were unparalleled. He played like an angel, almost like [Zinedine] Zidane. My idol was Zizou, and when you watch Özil, you see similarities.”

Özil, who left Madrid in 2013 to join Arsenal, later expressed regret over his departure. According to Khedira, Özil admitted it was a “serious mistake” to leave Madrid, where he felt deeply appreciated by the fans and had all the tools to succeed.

Özil went on to spend eight years at Arsenal before concluding his career with brief spells at Fenerbahce and Istanbul Başakşehir in Turkey.