Zinedine Zidane

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Zinedine Yazid Zidane was born on 23 June 1972 in La Castellane, a neighbourhood in the 16th arrondissement of Marseille, in Southern France. He is the youngest of five siblings born to Algerian parents Smaïl and Malika, who had immigrated to Paris from the village of Aguemoune in the Berber-speaking region of Kabylia in 1953, before the start of the Algerian War. The family moved to the northern Marseille suburb of La Castellane in the mid-1960s. His father worked as a warehouseman and security guard at a department store, often on the night shift, while his mother was a housewife. Zidane credits his strict upbringing and his father as the 'guiding light' in his career. He 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 was named in the All-Star team. This triumph made him a national hero in France and he received the Legion of Honour in 1998. He won UEFA Euro 2000 and was named Player of the Tournament. 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. He retired as the fourth-most capped player in French history. After retiring as a player, Zidane began his coaching career at Real Madrid Castilla. He remained in the position for two years, before managing the first team in 2016. In his initial three seasons, Zidane became the first and only coach to win the Champions League three consecutive times. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup twice each, as well as a La Liga title and a Supercopa de España. This success led to Zidane being named Best FIFA Men's Coach in 2017. He resigned in 2018, but returned to the club in 2019, and won another La Liga title and a Supercopa de España,

In Their Own Story

In the 1998 World Cup final at the Stade de France, Zidane scored a brace, heading in two goals to lead France to a victory over Brazil. This triumph made him a national hero. Eight years later, at the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, Zidane was sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest, a moment that defined the end of his international career despite him being awarded the Golden Ball as Player of the Tournament.

Reader's Guide

Zidane started his career at Cannes, making his professional debut on 18 May 1989 against Nantes. He scored his first goal for the club on 10 February 1991 also against Nantes. He transferred to Bordeaux in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup and finishing runner-up against Bayern Munich in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup. In 1996, he moved to Juventus, winning the 1996–97 Serie A title and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup. He was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year in his first season. In 2001, he moved to Real Madrid for a world-record fee of €77.5 million. In Spain, he won a La Liga title and the Champions League. In the 2002 Champions League final, he scored a left-foot volleyed winner. In 2012 and 2017, respectively, Zidane was named in Real Madrid's and Juventus's greatest XI of all time. As a coach, he managed Real Madrid Castilla for two years before taking over the first team in 2016. He won the Champions League three consecutive times, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup twice each, a La Liga title, and a Supercopa de España. He was named Best FIFA Men's Coach in 2017. He resigned in 2018, returned in 2019, won another La Liga title and Supercopa de España, and left again in 2021. In 2026, he became head coach of the France national team.

Did You Know?

• Zidane won the 1998 Ballon d'Or.
• He 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.
• In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100 and was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll.