Zinedine Zidane

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Zidane started his career at Cannes, making his professional debut on 18 May 1989 against Nantes, and scoring his first goal for the club on 10 February 1991 also against Nantes in a 2–1 win. After the match, Cannes chairman Alain Pedretti gave him a car, having promised one the day he scored his first goal. Zidane transferred to Bordeaux in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup after beating Karlsruher SC and finishing runner-up against Bayern Munich in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup. 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 of €77.5 million in 2001. 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. 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. 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, before leaving again in 2021. In 2026, he returned to coaching, succeeding Didier Deschamps as the new head coach of the France national team.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicks the Santiago Bernabéu pitch as the clock ticks down in the final minutes. You stand on the touchline, watching your midfield maestro glide past two defenders with a simple turn. It is not just a simulation; it feels like history repeating itself. The crowd roars as he lifts his head, spotting the gap behind the defense. A weighted pass finds the striker, and the net ripples. In this moment, the database becomes reality, and the legacy of the greatest French player continues through your cursor.

Reader's Guide

Zinedine Zidane serves as a dual archetype in Football Manager: the ultimate playmaker and an elite manager candidate. As a player, his arc is defined by declining physical attributes offset by supreme mental and technical stats, requiring careful squad rotation to maximize his impact before retirement. His defining moments are often scripted around major cup finals or World Cup tournaments, where his 'clutch' performance rating can single-handedly alter the outcome of a season. Managers must utilize him in roles that allow freedom, such as an Advanced Playmaker, to exploit his vision and passing range. Transitioning to management, Zidane offers a high-compatibility profile for technical teams. His arc involves building a squad that values possession and creativity over brute force. Successfully guiding a team with him requires patience, as he rewards tactical discipline with moments of individual brilliance.

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 scored a left-foot volleyed winner in the 2002 Champions League final, considered one of the greatest goals in football history.
• Zidane is one of eleven players to have won the World Cup, the Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or.
• He became the first and only coach to win the Champions League three consecutive times, in his initial three seasons at Real Madrid.
• Zidane was the ambassador for Qatar's successful bid to stage the 2022 World Cup.