Real Madrid legends Marcelo, Mateo Kovacic and Keylor Navas were left starstruck after meeting 7ft tall basketball hero Shaquille O’Neal in America. Th e European champions have been based in California on their pre-season tour. And in a break from their preparations for the new season, the La Liga giants took time out to meet a fellow giant of the sporting world. Th e LA Lakers legend towered over his footballing counterparts as they came – not quite – face to face . O’Neal retired from basketball in 2011 after a 19-year career in the sport that took him through fi ve teams, from Orlando Magic to Boston Celtics. Kovacic and Navas shook hands with the 45-yearold, while full back Marcelo grinned broadly and gave a thumb up to the camera. Real were beaten in their opening pre-season friendly on Sunday night, losing on penalties to Manchester United after sharing a 1-1 draw in normal time. Zinedine Zidane’s side face Manchester City and Barcelona in their remaining two International Champions Cup fi xtures this month.