Zinedine Zidane

Zinédine Yazid Zidane (born June 23, 1972) is a Muslim French football (soccer) player of Algerian Berber ethnic origin, nicknamed Zizou. He was voted the top player in the 1998 Football World Cup, which France won, scoring two goals in the final against Brazil.

Zinédine Zidane was born in Marseille, France.

In 2001 he transferred from Italian team Juventus to Spanish club side Real Madrid in a four-year deal worth US$64.45 million, making him the most expensive player in footballing history. While Zidane initially took a while to settle among the superstars of Madrid, the season culminated in him scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 win over the German side Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001-2002 Champions League Final.

However, injuries prevented him from reprising his 1998 performance in the 2002 Football World Cup. France's defence of their trophy was one of the most unsuccessful in World Cup history, the team being eliminated in the First Round without scoring a single goal.

An elegant dribbler of the ball, Zidane's passing ability and perfect balance make him one of the world's finest playmakers in the tradition of his French predecessor Michel Platini.

He is married to a French of Spanish descent.

Clubs

• Cannes FC (1988-1992)
• FC Bordeaux (1992-1996)
• Juventus (July 1996 - July 2001)
• Real Madrid (since July 2001)

• French national football team (since August 1994)

Honors

With the French national team:

• FIFA World Cup
  • Winner: 1998
  • Appearances: 1998, 2002

• European Championship winner: 2000

With Juventus:

• European Super Cup: 1996

• Intercontinental Cup: 1996, 2002

• Serie A champions: 1996/1997, 1997/1998

• Italian Super Cup: 1997

With Real Madrid:

• UEFA Champions League: 2001/2002

• Spanish Liga de Fútbol Profesional champions: 2002/2003

Personal honors:

• FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003

• European Player of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1998