Zinedine Zidane
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Who is Zinedine Zidane?
Zinedine Zidane, born on June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France, is a former French football player and current manager. As a midfielder, he played for Cannes and Bordeaux before being transferred to Juventus in 1995. In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid, where the team won the Champions League title and the European Super Cup the following year. FIFA named Zidane World Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, and 2003). He led France to victories in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship.
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What position did Zinedine Zidane play in football?
Zinedine Zidane was a midfielder known for his exceptional field vision, upper body strength, and footwork. Progressing from US Saint-Henri's junior team to Cannes in 1989, he became the focal point of the team's offense. In 1992, he moved to Bordeaux, excelling as a midfielder and scoring a career-high of 10 goals in his first season. He was named Best Young Footballer in France in 1994. Zidane later played for Juventus and Real Madrid, winning multiple titles and individual awards, including being named FIFA World Player of the Year three times.
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For which clubs did Zinedine Zidane play during his career?
Zinedine Zidane, the French football star, played for the following clubs during his career:
- US Saint-Henri (junior team)
- Cannes
- Bordeaux
- Juventus
- Real Madrid
He also served as an assistant manager at Real Madrid in 2013, later managing Real Madrid Castilla before managing Real Madrid from 2016 to 2018, and again in 2019.
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What are some of Zidane’s achievements with the French national team?
Zinedine Zidane led France to victories in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship. In the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil, he scored two goals, contributing to France's 3–0 victory. Zidane was also named player of the tournament after leading France to the 2000 European Championship. Despite an ignoble exit in the 2006 World Cup final, he was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
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Why is Zidane considered one of the greatest football players?
Zinedine Zidane is considered one of the greatest football players because of his exceptional skills and leadership. As a rangy midfielder, his upper body strength and footwork were complemented by his superior field vision. He led France to victory in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship, earning FIFA World Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, and 2003). In the 1998 World Cup final, he scored two goals against Brazil, securing France's victory. In 2000, he was named player of the tournament after leading France to the European Championship. Despite an ignoble exit in the 2006 World Cup final, he was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
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What has Zinedine Zidane accomplished after retiring as a player?
After retiring as a player in 2006, Zinedine Zidane transitioned into coaching, achieving significant success. In 2013, he became an assistant manager at Real Madrid, later managing Real Madrid Castilla. By January 2016, he was promoted to manager of Real Madrid, leading the team to a La Liga title in the 2016–17 season. Furthermore, Zidane guided Real Madrid to victory in the Champions League tournament in 2015–16, repeating this achievement in 2016–17 and 2017–18. After a brief hiatus, he returned to manage Real Madrid in March 2019, securing another La Liga title for the club the following year.
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Zinedine Zidane (born June 23, 1972, Marseille, France) is a French football (soccer) player who led his country to victories in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 European Championship. Popularly known as Zizou, he received the Ballon d’Or in 1998. He is widely regarded as one of the most formidable midfielders and is counted among the greatest football players ever. He later found success as a manager.
Early career and club success
After playing for the junior team US Saint-Henri, Zidane joined Cannes in 1989 and quickly became the focal point of the team’s offense. A rangy midfielder, he had exceptional upper body strength and footwork skills that were complemented by his superior field vision. In 1992 he was transferred to Bordeaux, where he scored a career-high 10 goals in his first season with the team. Two years later Zidane was named Best Young Footballer in France and made his debut in international competition with two goals in 17 minutes against the Czech Republic.
In 1995 Zidane helped secure a place in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Cup final for his Bordeaux club. The following summer, however, he was transferred to the club in Italy, where he soon became as much of a favorite as he had been in France. In 1997 Zidane appeared on Juventus’s winning team at the World Club championship and UEFA Super Cup as well as on its Italian league-winning squad. Juventus also reached the UEFA Champions League final in 1997 and 1998. Zidane joined in 2001, and the following year the team won the UEFA Champions League title and the European Super Cup. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) named Zidane World Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, and 2003).
International career
Zidane was also a success in international competition. He had an eventful 1998 FIFA World Cup, which was held in France for the first time. Zidane stomped on an opponent in the second game of the first round and was suspended for two contests. There was speculation that he would be kicked off the team, but he returned in the quarterfinal round. Zidane scored two goals in the final against Brazil, and France took the World Cup with a 3–0 victory. In 2000 Zidane was named player of the tournament after leading France to the European Championship.
FIFA World Cup glory and controversial exit
Although it had failed to score a goal in its World Cup title defense in 2002, France entered the 2006 World Cup as one of the favorites. Zidane’s outstanding performance in the tournament propelled the team into the final against Italy. Toward the end of second-half penalty time, with the score tied at one—Zidane having scored France’s lone goal—he head-butted Italian player Marco Materazzi, who had been taunting him, which led to a red card and ejection for Zidane. Without their captain, France lost to Italy on penalty kicks. Despite his ignoble exit in the final, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. He retired from professional football after the 2006 World Cup.
Coaching career
In 2013 Zidane became an assistant manager at Real Madrid, and the following year he took over managerial duties at Real Madrid Castilla, the top-division club’s reserve team. In January 2016 he was promoted to manager of Real when the club made a mid-season coaching change. Zidane led Real to the La Liga title in the 2016–17 season. In addition, he guided the club to victory in the 2015–16 Champions League tournament, an accomplishment the team repeated in 2016–17 and 2017–18. He shockingly resigned from his managerial position just days after the 2018 Champions League final, citing his belief that the club needed a cultural change. His time away from the sidelines was brief, however, as he returned to manage Real in March 2019 soon after the club had been eliminated from the Champions League tournament. The following year Real won another La Liga title. However, Zidane left Real Madrid again in 2021. In July 2026 he succeeded Didier Deschamps as the head coach of the French national team.
Zinedine Zidane and wife Véronique Fernández have four sons–Enzo, Luca, Théo, and Elyaz–all of whom have played football professionally. Luca Zidane made his FIFA World Cup debut in 2026 as goalkeeper for the Algerian side.
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