Zinedine Zidane popularly nicknamed ‘Zizou’ is a former French footballer who has given a lot to the French national team and played for four European clubs. He played for 17 years as a professional footballer and was the greatest footballer of his generation.

He was born in Marsaille, southern France but his parents were originally from the Kayble community in Algeria. He left home at the age of 13 to play football for the junior team in his home town club, then in the French first division.

He earned his first cap for French national team in August 1994 coming in as a substitute in the 63rd minute of a friendly match against Czech Republic. France was behind 0-2 when Zidane came on and scored two goals for a 2-2 draw. In 1992 he moved to FC Girondins Bordeaux, and in 1996 to Juventus where he was an outstanding player by leading his team to two Serie A titles and two times runner-up for UEFA champions league finals.

In July 1998, he put two goals past Brazil in the World Cup Finals in paris that won his country’s first ever FIFA World Cup title. In the Euro 2000 tournament, Zidane helped his team win the tournament with inspired play and important goals. In 2001, Zidane moved to Real Madrid. The transfer fee was £46 million, the highest in football history. In May 2002, he volleyed one of the most masterful winning goals ever seen, to secure a 2-1 victory over German team Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final in Glasgow.

He won the World Club Cup, European Supercup and one Spanish League title with Real Madrid.

In the 2002 World Cup as France flopped in Korea and two years later as they crumbled into the quaterfinals of Euro 2004 , Zidane stepped down to concentrate on his club career. The national team struggled for most of the World Cup qualifying campaign but Zidane’s return helped secure their ticket for the 2006 world cup in Germany.

On May 2006, Zidane played his last game for Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabaue stedium in Madrid against Villareal CF, and the game ended in 3-3 draw. Zidane scored the second for Real Madrid.

In 2006 World Cup, Zidane helped his team reach the final with outstanding performance. It was going to be the last tournament of his career. He was the best in the quaterfinal against Brazil and he converted the match winning penalty against Portugal in the semifinal. In the final, he scored the opening penalty goal against Italy. He was sent off during extra time and did not participate in the penatly shoot-out, which Italy won 5-3.

Zidane was elected FIFA World Player of the Year a record three times (1998, 2000, 2003) and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1998.

He was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in 2004. At 2006 World Cup, he was named the most outstanding player of the tournament thus receiving the Golden Ball.