Zinedine Zidane

Lore & Background

Zidane started his career at Cannes before establishing himself as one of the best players in the French Ligue 1 at Bordeaux. In 1996, he moved to Italian club Juventus, where he won two Serie A titles and played in consecutive UEFA Champions League finals in 1997 and 1998. He moved to Real Madrid for a world-record fee at the time of €77.5 million in 2001. In Spain, Zidane won several trophies, including a La Liga title and the Champions League.

In the 2002 Champions League final, he scored a left-foot volleyed winner that is considered one of the greatest goals in football history. Capped 108 times by France, Zidane won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, scoring a brace in the final, and won UEFA Euro 2000. He also received the Golden Ball as Player of the Tournament at the 2006 World Cup, despite his infamous sending off in the final against Italy for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest. After retiring as a player, Zidane began his coaching career at Real Madrid Castilla, then managed the first team in 2016, winning the Champions League three consecutive times.

He resigned in 2018, returned in 2019, and left again in 2021. Since then, he has remained without a managerial position, often linked to top clubs and national teams but not yet appointed as head coach of the France national team.

Reader's Guide

Zidane played as an attacking midfielder. He made his professional debut with Cannes on 18 May 1989 in a French Division 1 match against Nantes. He scored his first goal for the club on 10 February 1991 also against Nantes. He was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup and finishing runner-up in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup. He moved to Juventus in 1996, winning the 1996–97 Serie A title and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup. He moved to Real Madrid in 2001. He retired as a player after the 2006 World Cup. He began his coaching career at Real Madrid Castilla, then managed Real Madrid first team from 2016 to 2018 and again from 2019 to 2021. In 2026, he became head coach of the France national team.

Did You Know?

• Zidane was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and won the 1998 Ballon d'Or.
• He was named in the FIFA 100 in 2004 and was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll.
• Zidane is one of eleven players to have won the World Cup, the Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or.
• He was the ambassador for Qatar's successful bid to stage the 2022 World Cup.