ZINADENE ZIDANE

Zinedine Yazid Zidane (BORN ON 23 June 1972 in Marseille), popularly nicknamed Zizou, is a French former professional football midfielder of Algerian Kabyle Berber descent. He was a member of the French national team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000, and was also the recipient of the Golden Ball after he captained the French side to the 2006 World Cup final, a match that saw his career end in controversy after he was sent off for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi.

He played for four European clubs and lifted the 2002 UEFA Champions League trophy with Real Madrid C.F. after scoring the match-winning goal. One of only two three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winners (Ronaldo the other), he also finished in the top three an additional three occasions, and was also named European Footballer of the Year in 1998. In 2004, fans voted him atop UEFA's fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll, and he was included in Pelé's selection of the 125 greatest living footballers.

Zidane retired from professional football after the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Honours

Club

• Girondins de Bordeaux
  • UEFA Cup
    • Runners Up: 1995–1996
  • UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995
• Juventus F.C.
  • Serie A: 1996–1997, 1997–1998
  • European Super Cup: 1996
  • International Cup: 1996
  • Italian Super Cup: 1997
  • UEFA Champions League
    • Runners Up: 1996–1997, 1997–1998
• Real Madrid
  • La Liga: 2002–2003
  • UEFA Champions League: 2001–2002
  • International Cup: 2002
  • European Super Cup: 2002
  • Spanish Super Cup: 2001, 2003

Country

• France
  • FIFA World Cup: 1998
    • Runner Up: 2006
  • UEFA Euro: 2000

Individual

• UEFA Club Football Awards, Best Midfielder: 1997/1998
• World Soccer Player of the Year: 1998
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003
• FIFA Silver World Player of the Year: 2006
• FIFA Bronze World Player of the Year: 1997, 2002
• European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1998
• UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player: 2001/2002
• UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll (Best European player of the past 50 years): 2004
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Award: 2006
• FIFPro World XI Team: 2005, 2006
• Onze d'Or: 1998, 2000, 2001
• UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 2000
• FIFA All-Star Team: 1998, 2006
• UEFA BEST XI: 2001, 2002, 2003
• Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur: since 1998