Zinedine Zidane

Zidane went to AS Cannes for a six-week stay, but ended up remaining at the club for four years to play at the professional level. Having left his family to join Cannes, he was invited by Cannes Director Jean-Claude Elineau to leave the dormitory he shared with 20 other trainees and to come and stay with him and his family. Zidane later said that while living with the Elineaus he found equilibrium.[26]

It was at Cannes where Zidane's first coaches noticed that he was raw and sensitive, prone to attack spectators who insulted his race or family.[36] His first coach, Jean Varraud, encouraged him to channel his anger and focus on his own game. Zidane spent his first weeks at Cannes mainly on cleaning duty as a punishment for punching an opponent who mocked his ghetto origins.[36] The occasional violence that he would display throughout his career was shaped by an internal conflict of being an Algerian-Frenchman suspended between cultures, and surviving the tough streets of La Castellane where he grew up.[36]

Zidane made his professional debut with Cannes on 18 May 1989 in a French Division 1 match against Nantes.[37] He scored his first goal for the club on 10 February 1991[38] also against Nantes in a 2–1 win. After the match during a party for all the Cannes players, Zidane was given a car by Cannes chairman Alain Pedretti, who had promised him one the day he scored his first goal for the club.[39] On the pitch, Zidane displayed extraordinary technique on the ball, offering glimpses of the talent that would take him to the top of the world game.[11] In his first full season with Cannes, the club secured its first ever European football berth by qualifying for the UEFA Cup after finishing fourth in the league. This remains the club's highest finish in the top flight since getting relegated for the first time from the first division in the 1948–49 season.[40]

Zidane was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup after beating Karlsruhe,[41][42] and finishing runner-up against Bayern Munich in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup,[42][43][44] in four years with the club. He played a set of midfield combinations with Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, which would become the trademark of both Bordeaux and the 1998 French national team. In 1995, Blackburn Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish had expressed interest in signing both Zidane and Dugarry, to which club owner Jack Walker reportedly replied, "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"[45] Also towards the beginning of the 1996 season, according to football agent Barry Silkman, Zidane was offered to Newcastle United for £1.2 million, but the club turned down the offer after watching him, claiming that he was not good enough for the English First Division.[46] In 1996, Zidane received the award for Ligue 1 Player of the Year.[47]

After a series of stand out performances for both Bordeaux and France, Zidane had offers to join Europe's top clubs in the spring of 1996, deciding on a move to UEFA Champions League winners Juventus during the close season.[49] Zidane's impact in Italy was immediate, winning the 1996–97 Serie A title and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup.[50] He was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year in his first season.[51] Zidane's growing status in the sport saw him chosen in a European XI to face a World XI – featuring a forward line of Ronaldo and Gabriel Batistuta – in December 1997.[52]

As the playmaker at Juve, Zidane played just behind forward Alessandro Del Piero, with Del Piero recalling, "Zidane had an extraordinary talent, which contributed to his sole interest in helping the team. He was not a selfish player. He had a unique ability to be a great and to be a team player. I was lucky to play with him."[53] He lost in the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final 3–1 to Borussia Dortmund when he was unable to make an impression against the close marking of Paul Lambert.[54]

The following season, Zidane scored seven goals in 32 matches in the league to help Juventus win the 1997–98 Serie A and thus retain the Scudetto. In Europe, Juventus made their third consecutive UEFA Champions League Final appearance, but lost the game 1–0 to Real Madrid. In 1998, Zidane was named FIFA World Player of the Year, and won the Ballon d'Or. Juventus finished second in the 2000–01 Serie A, but were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, after Zidane was banned for head-butting Hamburger SV player Jochen Kientz.[55] In 2001, Zidane was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year for the second time.[51]

Zidane with teammate David Beckham in 2003

In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a world record fee of 150 billion Italian lire,[56][57] (about €77.5 million by fixed exchange rate; a reported 12.8 billion pesetas[58]) in instalments,[59] and signed a four-year contract. The latest addition to the Galácticos era of global stars signed by Real Madrid every year, in his first season at the club Zidane scored a famous match-winning goal, a volley hit with his weaker left foot from the edge of the 18 yard box, in Madrid's 2–1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final.[60][61] The goal has been cited as one of the greatest in Champions League history.[60][62][63] The magnitude of the strike saw Zidane produce one of his most emotional goal celebrations as he ran towards the touchline with mouth wide open, screaming in delight.[64]

Zinedine Zidane, 18 yards out, watching and waiting, adjusts his body and, in one, smooth movement, pirouettes and catches it full on the volley with his left foot. It flies past Hans-Jorg Butt. It was the moment of Zidane's apotheosis, more so than the 1998 World Cup final, because of the moment's grace and beauty, because of his control of everything around him. He was Bruce Lee in slow motion while kung-fu chaos reigned around.

— Rory Smith in The Telegraph, Top 20 sporting moments of the decade: Zinedine Zidane's Champions League final winner.[60]

The next season, Zidane helped Real Madrid to win the 2002–03 La Liga, starring alongside Luís Figo in midfield, and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time.[65] In 2004, fans voted him as the best European footballer of the previous 50 years in UEFA's fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll.[14]

While Zidane's final season of club football ended without a trophy, he enjoyed success on a personal note by scoring his first hat-trick, against Sevilla, in a 4–2 win in January 2006.[66] He ended the season for Real Madrid as their second highest goalscorer and assists provider behind teammates Ronaldo and David Beckham respectively, with nine goals and ten assists in 28 games.[67] On 7 May 2006, Zidane, who had announced his plans to retire after the 2006 World Cup,[68] played his farewell match and scored in a 3–3 draw with Villarreal. The squad wore commemorative shirts with ZIDANE 2001–2006 below the club logo. The 80,000 fans inside the Santiago Bernabéu held up a banner reading, "Thanks for the magic."[11]

In 2012, Zidane featured for Madrid in an All Stars Match against Manchester United which resulted in a 3–2 win for Real. In April 2013, he was named by Marca as a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history."[69]

Despite not being at his best during the tournament, France reached the last four. Zidane was not yet fully established in the French team and his level was quite average during the whole event, but he managed to score in the penalty shootout in both the quarter-final and semi-final. France was eliminated in the Euro 96 semi-finals in a penalty shootout against the Czech Republic.[74]

Following France's World Cup win, an image of Zidane was projected on the Arc de Triomphe (pictured) along with the words "Merci Zizou".[75]

The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the first World Cup that Zidane participated in; the tournament was held in his home country, France. The French team won all three games in the group stage, with Zidane setting up Christophe Dugarry's goal in the opening match against South Africa from a corner, and contributing to Thierry Henry's opening goal in the second match against Saudi Arabia; however, Zidane was sent off in the latter match for a stamp on Fuad Anwar, becoming the first French player to receive a red card in a World Cup Finals match.[76] Without their playmaker, France proceeded to win 1–0 in the round of sixteen game against Paraguay and, on his return to the side, defeated Italy 4–3 on penalties after a goalless draw in the quarter-finals, with Zidane netting the first spot kick in the shoot-out.[77] France then defeated Croatia 2–1 in the semi-final. Although Zidane had played a role in the team's accomplishments, he had yet to score a goal at the World Cup.[76][78]

Zidane and France went on to play against defending champions and favourites Brazil at the Stade de France in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final. France dominated Brazil from the kick-off, with Zidane scoring two similar goals, both headers from corner kicks taken by Emmanuel Petit and Youri Djorkaeff. Courtesy of Zidane's two goals, France went into the half-time break 2–0 up with one hand on the World Cup trophy.[11] Petit added a third goal deep in stoppage time to seal the 3–0 win and France's first ever World Cup. Named man of the match, Zidane became an instant national hero and would receive the Legion of Honour later that year.[75] More than one million people lined the Champs-Élysées in Paris, with celebrations centred around the Arc de Triomphe.[79][80]

Zidane's France jersey from Euro 2000

Two years later France won Euro 2000, becoming the first team to hold both the World Cup and the European Championship since West Germany in 1974. Zidane finished with two goals, a bending free kick against Spain in the quarter-final and the golden goal in the semi-final against Portugal with a penalty.[81][82] UEFA named Zidane Player of the Tournament.[83]

Zidane himself believes he was at his peak during the tournament, while the UEFA website states, "In Belgium and the Netherlands, Zidane dominated a major championship in a way no individual had managed since Diego Maradona in 1986. From the opening game against Denmark to the final against Italy, 'Zizou' shone brightly, casting a spell on his opponents with clever flicks, mesmerising stepovers, slaloming runs and masterful vision."[84]

As reigning world and European champions, France entered the 2002 World Cup in Japan/Korea as favourites but a thigh injury sustained in a warm up match before the tournament prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches and without their talisman, the French team failed to score in either match. He was rushed back prematurely for the third game despite not being fully fit, but could not prevent France from being ignominiously eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal; the worst performance by a defending champion in the history of the competition.[85]

At Euro 2004, France topped their group with wins over England and Switzerland, before being knocked out in the quarter finals by eventual champions Greece in a surprise 1–0 loss.[86] In the opening match against England, Zidane scored a free kick and penalty in stoppage time to turn impending defeat into a 2–1 victory.[87][88] After France's elimination, Zidane announced his retirement from international football.[89]

Zidane during the 2006 World Cup Final

With the mass retirement of veteran key players such as Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly, Claude Makélélé and Lilian Thuram, France struggled to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. At the urging of coach Raymond Domenech, Zidane came out of retirement and was immediately reinstated as team captain.[90] Zidane, along with Thuram and Makélélé, made his competitive return for France in a 3–0 win over the Faroe Islands on 3 September 2005. The trio helped France rise from fourth place to win their qualifying group.[91] On 27 May 2006, Zidane earned his hundredth cap for France in a 1–0 friendly win over Mexico, in what would also be his last match at the Stade de France. Zidane became France's fourth player to reach 100 caps, after Desailly, Thuram and Didier Deschamps.[92]

France had a slow start to the 2006 Finals and, after being suspended for the third match of the group stage, Zidane returned to set up a goal for Patrick Vieira and score one himself in the second round match against Spain.[93] In the quarter-final France held Brazil to just one shot on goal in the rematch of the 1998 final. Zidane assisted Thierry Henry's deciding goal and was named Man of the Match by FIFA.[94][95] France faced Portugal in the semi-final and, as in Brussels six years earlier, Zidane's penalty kick decided the contest and sent France to another major final.[96][97]

Having already announced he was to retire after the expiration of his Real Madrid contract at the end of the 2005–06 season, the world of football already knew Zidane's second World Cup final was to be the last match of his career. Seven minutes into the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin, Zidane put France ahead with a Panenka-style penalty kick which struck the crossbar and bounced just over the goal line[98] to become only the fourth player in World Cup history to score in two different finals, along with Pelé, Paul Breitner, and Vavá, in addition to being tied for first place with Vavá, Pelé and Geoff Hurst with three World Cup final goals apiece. He almost scored a second goal during the first period of extra time but his header was saved by Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Zidane was then sent off in the 110th minute of the game after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest,[99][100] so he did not participate in the penalty shootout which Italy won 5–3.[101] This marked the 14th overall expulsion of Zidane's career, and joined him with Cameroon's Rigobert Song as the only players ever to be sent off during two separate World Cup tournaments.[102] He also became the fourth player red-carded in a World Cup final, in addition to being the first sent off in extra time.[103] Zidane's actions made headlines all over the world, while in France Le Figaro called his head-butt "odious," and the front page of L'Equipe asked, "What should we tell our children, for whom you have become an example for ever? ... How could that happen to a man like you?"[97] The day after the final, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament.[104]

Upon his return to France, the Place de la Concorde in Paris was filled with thousands of fans waving flags and rhythmically chanting "Zizou! Zizou!," and tributes were led by the French president Jacques Chirac.[97] Chirac's words reflected the feeling of the French public, with polls done in the immediate wake of the incident showing support for Zidane: 61% of French people said they had already forgiven him for his actions while 52% said they understood them.[97] According to French journalist Philippe Auclair, Zidane's performances in the knock-out rounds were "ranked among his finest in a blue shirt."[97] As the player of the tournament, Zidane had given the team hope, with the French daily newspaper Libération stating, "For a month, France was dreaming with Zidane."[97] Zidane remained an icon to the French public, and one French writer stated, "It's good for us to see our national hero is fallible."[97] It was later revealed through interviews that Marco Materazzi had insulted Zidane's sister, which led to Zidane's heightened anger and reaction.[105] In 2010, Zidane said that he would "rather die than apologize" to Materazzi for the headbutt in the final,[106] but also admitted that he "could never have lived with himself" had he been allowed to remain on the pitch and help France win the match.[107] He later said, "If you look at the fourteen red cards I had in my career, twelve of them were a result of provocation. This isn't justification, this isn't an excuse, but my passion, temper and blood made me react."[108]

Following his red card in the final, Zidane retired from professional football and confirmed that he would not go back on his decision.[109] He was sentenced by FIFA to a three-match suspension for the red card.[110] He agreed to complete three days of community service with children in one of FIFA's humanitarian projects.[111] Zidane ended up tying with Brazil's Cafu for the record for most cards given in World Cup matches, with six.[112]

Zidane at the Danone Nations Cup, 2008. A football tournament involving 2.5 million children from over 11,000 clubs from around the globe, Zidane is its ambassador.

On 24 February 2007, before a crowd of 10,000 fans at a match in northern Thailand for the Keuydaroon children's AIDS charity, Zidane scored the first goal and set up the second for a Malaysian teammate as the match ended 2–2. The event raised ฿260,000 ($7,750). This money paid for the building of two schools and 16 three-bedroom houses.[121]

On 19 November 2008, Zidane took part in the fifth annual Match Against Poverty in Málaga, Spain, which also ended in a 2–2 draw; he went scoreless but set up his team's second goal. He and Ronaldo, who collaborated in conceiving the yearly event to benefit the United Nations Development Programme, regularly captain their respective teams consisting of active footballers, other professional athletes and celebrities.[122] Zidane, a UN Goodwill Ambassador since 2001, stated before the game that "everyone can do something to make the world a better place."[123]

Zidane in the Match Against Poverty in Bern, March 2014

In June and July 2009, Zidane toured across Canada with stops in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Although billed as Zidane and "Friends", the likes of which included Fabien Barthez and Samuel Eto'o, the exhibition matches featured local players. Some proceeds were given to UNICEF.[124]

On 6 June 2010, Zidane took part in the biennial charity event Soccer Aid. He played for the Rest of the World team, managed by former Liverpool and Celtic forward Kenny Dalglish against England alongside former Real Madrid teammate Luís Figo and Celtic legend Henrik Larsson. He played against former players such as Teddy Sheringham and Alan Shearer, as well as celebrities such as Hollywood actors Woody Harrelson, Mike Myers, Michael Sheen, chef Gordon Ramsay, actor Damian Lewis and singer Robbie Williams.[125] The match took place at Old Trafford, Manchester and was won by the Rest of the World for the first time, the winning penalty scored by Harrelson after a 2–2 draw.[125]

On 2 June 2013, Zidane took part in a charity match played at Old Trafford as part of the Manchester United Legends vs. Real Madrid Legends reverse fixture. The first leg took place in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Part of a team that included the likes of Figo, Fernando Redondo and Manolo Sanchís, the fixture raised funds for the Manchester United Foundation.[126] The 12th Match against Poverty took place in Saint-Étienne, France on Monday 20 April 2015, where Ronaldo and Zidane teamed up with other football stars against past and present players of French Ligue 1 club AS Saint-Étienne. According to UNDP, "two-thirds of all proceeds will go towards helping the hardest-hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone build back better from the Ebola epidemic."[127] In June 2018, Zidane reunited with his France 1998 World Cup winning teammates to play a charity game against an All-Star side which included Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. In a 3–2 win for France, Thierry Henry played a no-look one-two pass with Zidane before scoring, with Zidane then curling in a 25-yard free kick.[128]

In June 2014, Real Madrid announced that Zidane would be the coach of Real Madrid's B team, Real Madrid Castilla.[17] On 29 August, the director of the Spanish National Football Coach Education Centre (CENAFE), Miguel Galán, reported Zidane for acting as Real Madrid Castilla's head coach without the necessary coaching badges.[132] According to Galán, "No one who has anything to do with the football world can be unaware that Zidane is acting as Real Madrid Castilla's head coach this season. It is a fait accompli that has been widely accepted, as shown by media reports, and Real Madrid do not deny it."[132] While the official match report for Castilla's opening game in the Segunda División B lists Santiago Sánchez as the Los Blancos' head coach and Zidane as his assistant, Galán states, "This hierarchy only exists on paper. The truth is the exact opposite: Zidane is acting as Real Madrid Castilla's head coach, while, with all due respect to him as a colleague, Mr Sánchez's role basically boils down to providing the badges."[132][133]

Zidane (right) with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos lifting the 2016 UEFA Champions League trophy

On 4 January 2016, Real Madrid announced the dismissal of manager Rafael Benítez and on the same day Zidane was appointed the new manager of the club on a two-and-a-half-year deal.[134] His first match as the club's new manager took place five days later, when Real Madrid beat Deportivo La Coruña 5–0 in a La Liga match. In his first El Clásico as a manager, held on 2 April at the Camp Nou, Zidane led his club to a 2–1 win over Barcelona to end Barça's 39-match unbeaten run.[135]

On 4 May, Zidane led Real Madrid to a place in the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final by beating Manchester City 1–0 on aggregate.[136] In La Liga, Real Madrid finished runners up, just one point behind Barcelona. In the Champions League final on 28 May, Real Madrid defeated fellow Madrid club Atlético Madrid in a penalty shootout to grab the 11th European Cup (La Undécima) in club history. Zidane became the seventh man to win the European Cup (now UEFA Champions League) as both a player and a manager, the second man (after Miguel Muñoz) to win the trophy with Real Madrid as both a player and a manager, and the first French manager, except the French-Argentinian Helenio Herrera, to win the trophy.[137][138]

Zidane, with his Real Madrid players, standing to the right of Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena after Real had won their 33rd La Liga title, May 2017

In his first full-season as manager, Real Madrid recorded a club-record 16th consecutive La Liga victory by defeating Espanyol 2–0 away on 18 September 2016, overtaking their previous record of 15 set in 1960–61 and equalling the record of consecutive La Liga wins of Barcelona set in 2010–11.[139] On 18 December, Real Madrid defeated Japanese club Kashima Antlers 4–2 in the final of the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick.[140]

On 12 January 2017, Madrid's draw against Sevilla FC in the second leg of the Copa del Rey round of 16 saw him win his 40th consecutive match without a loss – creating a new Spanish record, beating Luis Enrique's record of 39 matches undefeated with Barcelona.[141][142] Zidane later led Madrid to the La Liga title, their 33rd in history, by defeating Málaga 2–0.[143]

On 3 June 2017, Zidane led Real Madrid to a 4–1 win against Italian side Juventus in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final at Cardiff to grab the club's 12th European Cup (La Duodécima). This victory meant that Madrid were the first ever team to win the Champions League back-to-back, as well as recording Zidane's first double as coach, and the club's first since 1956–57.[144] With Real's Champions League victory, Zidane became only the second manager to win the European Cup in his first two seasons in management, alongside fellow Real Madrid manager José Villalonga.[145]

He later won the 2017 UEFA Super Cup 2–1 against Manchester United on 8 August.[146] This meant Zidane was the first manager to win two UEFA Super Cups in a row since Arrigo Sacchi's Milan in 1990. Five days later, Real Madrid beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou 1–3 in the first leg of the 2017 Supercopa de España. Three days later, Real won the second leg 2–0, 5–1 on aggregate, while ending Barcelona's consecutive scoring record in El Clásico.[147] This title tied Zidane with Vicente del Bosque as the third most successful Real Madrid manager with 7 titles, one short of Luis Molowny, but still 7 away from Miguel Muñoz. This also meant, that at the time, Zidane had won as many titles in his managerial position in Real Madrid as games lost during his tenure. Zidane's success saw him named Best FIFA Men's Coach in 2017.[20] In December 2017, Zidane won his eighth trophy as manager when Real defeated Grêmio in the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.[148] On 26 May, Zidane won the Champions League for the third time in a row, beating Liverpool 3–1 in the final. He became one of three managers, alongside Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti, to win the European Cup three times, while also becoming the first manager to win the trophy in three consecutive seasons.[149]

On 31 May, five days after the Champions League Final, Zidane announced his resignation as Real Madrid manager, citing the club's "need for change" as his rationale for departing.[21][22]

Following some poor results for Real Madrid in the months following Zidane's departure – culminating in elimination from the Copa del Rey's semi-final stage at home to Barcelona, a league loss to the same opponent at the same venue which opened up a 12-point gap between the clubs, and an unexpected home 4–1 defeat to Ajax in the Champions League which brought the long run of success in that competition to an end, all within the space of a week – his former teammate Santiago Solari (who himself had only been in the post for five months, after Julen Lopetegui's equally brief spell in charge) was dismissed and Zidane returned as the Real Madrid head coach on 11 March 2019, on a contract until summer 2022.[23][150]

On 16 July 2020, Zidane won La Liga for the second time in his managerial career.[151] His collective mindset was hailed by international and Spanish media, as Real Madrid broke several records, including the number of scorers and maintaining their best league defensive record in 30 years, as 21 of his players managed to get on the scoresheet during the 2019–20 La Liga campaign.[152][153]

Many authoritative voices have acclaimed Zidane's skills and importance in the history of football, such as Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who called Zidane "a monster" for his performance and abilities.[155] German coach Franz Beckenbauer stated, "Zidane is one of the greatest players in history, a truly magnificent player."[155] Italy manager Marcello Lippi, who also coached Zidane, opined, "I think Zidane is the greatest talent we've known in football these last twenty years."[155] Former England manager Kevin Keegan said, "You look at Zidane and think 'I've never seen a player quite like that.' What sets Zidane apart is the way he manipulates a football, buying himself space that isn't there. Add his vision and it makes him very special."[156] At the 1998 World Cup, Italian manager Cesare Maldini said, "I would give up five players to have Zidane in my squad."[157]

In terms of ball retention he was probably the greatest player of all time, blessed with such grace and supernatural awareness that he could play a game of real-life Pac-Man and never be caught.

— Rob Smyth of The Guardian on Zidane's ball control.[158]

Zidane's France home jersey from the 2006 World Cup. An elite playmaker, he wore number 10 for much of his international career.

Among his playing peers, Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović commented, "Zidane was from another planet. When Zidane stepped onto the pitch, the ten other guys just got suddenly better. It is that simple."[159] David Beckham has described Zidane as "the greatest of all time",[160][161] Barcelona star Xavi has stated in a 2010 interview that Zidane was "best player in the '90s and early 2000s",[162] while Brazilian defender and former Madrid teammate Roberto Carlos has said of Zidane, "He is the best player I've seen. Supporters arrived earlier at the Bernabéu just to see him warm-up."[163] Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho stated, "Zidane is one of the best footballers of all time, one of my idols. He had such elegance and grace, a wonderful touch and superb vision."[164] Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard regards Zidane as "the best ever", and growing up he learned from his idol by "watching him on television and online for hours."[165][166]

Displaying skills with an array of moves such as his signature La Roulette pirouette, step overs and close ball control, former Brazilian international Rivaldo stated, "His elegance of movement on the pitch and his skills are uncanny."[167] Journalist Sid Lowe wrote, "Zidane was football's answer to the Bolshoi Ballet. Zidane was elegance above all else."[168] In 2005, upon Zidane's return to the French national team, his teammate Thierry Henry stated, "In France, everybody realized that God exists, and that he is back in the French international team."[169] Zidane has been lauded by sportsmen outside football; having witnessed Zidane's goal against Deportivo La Coruña in January 2002, where he dragged the ball right then left, turning the defender inside out, before scoring with a left foot finish, basketball player Magic Johnson stated, "One of the most inspiring nights of my life. Zidane is a phenomenon."[170]

Labelled a “flawed genius” by ESPN, Zidane possessed an exceptional first touch, and was also known for his dribbling skills, use of feints, elegance on the ball, and creativity.[171][172][173] He was capable of using either foot, despite being naturally right-footed.[174][175] His technique and co-ordination enabled him to execute shots and volleys with extreme power and precision, in particular from outside the penalty area;[9][176] he was also a free kick and penalty kick specialist.[177][178] A world-class offensive playmaker, Zidane's natural position was in a free role as a classic number 10 behind the strikers.[171][179][180] He was also capable of playing as a second striker,[181][182] or in a more withdrawn role in midfield, either as a central midfielder or deep-lying playmaker, due to his ability to orchestrate his team's attacking plays from deep with his vision and passing.[9][156][183][184] Thus, he was capable of both assisting and scoring goals, despite being neither the most prolific goalscorer nor the most productive creator throughout his career.[185] While not known for his heading ability, his height and physical strength also allowed him to be effective in the air, and saw him score several crucial headers throughout his career.[186] He also drew praise from his managers for his defensive work-rate.[172][187] Despite not being the quickest player, he possessed good agility and acceleration,[172][184][187] as well as exceptional balance and flair on the ball;[188][189] he also had an excellent positional sense[186] and outstanding spatial awareness.[190] Although he had a reserved and humble character, his former Juventus managers Lippi and Ancelotti also praised Zidane for being a team player, on whom his teammates could rely.[179] Notwithstanding the acclaim that Zidane received from pundits over his playing ability, he also drew criticism in the media over his temperament and discipline, and for his occasional violent conduct on the pitch, which led to instances in which disciplinary action was taken against him; he was also accused by some in the sport of drifting in and out of games, and of lacking leadership qualities, although he was able to establish himself as a consistent and decisive player, who was also an influential captain at international level throughout his career.[188][191]

Zidane has been named FIFA World Player of the Year three times, a feat achieved only by Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.[192] In 2002, ESPN described Zidane as "the greatest player in the world in the world's biggest game".[170] In a 2002 FIFA poll, Zidane was selected in the FIFA World Cup Dream Team.[193] In 2004, he was voted UEFA Best European Player of the Past 50 Years, and was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[194] In a 2004 poll conducted by French newspaper Journal du Dimanche, Zidane was voted as "the most popular Frenchman of all time".[188] In 2014, in a poll carried out by French TV channel TF1, Zidane was voted as the best player in the history of the French league.[195] In 2016, in a study led by French newspaper Le Parisien, Zidane was named "best French player of all time".[196]

Zidane at a press conference during the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup. As coach of Real Madrid he won the UEFA Champions League an unprecedented three times consecutively (2016, 2017 and 2018).

Despite establishing himself as one of the most successful managers of his era and in the history of Real Madrid,[upper-alpha 1] Zidane's time at Real Madrid was considered by some to be shadowed by a partial amount of luck.[upper-alpha 2] However, Zidane's tactical philosophy, particularly his tactical flexibility, has been praised by many.[197][198][199][200] Zidane's tactical style, characterized by its formation flexibility and attacking football, as well as his ability to unite the dressing room, have been positively compared to Carlo Ancelotti's coaching method.[201][202][203] His use of in-game substitutions was particularly praised, as many of his substitutes led to victories, such as introducing Marco Asensio and Lucas Vázquez in order to provide pace and width against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League to overturn a 1–0 deficit into a 3–1 victory. His introduction of Gareth Bale for similar reasons in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final also reaped similar rewards. It is also noted that his team focused on attacking through the flanks,[204] while he is credited for repopularising the 4–4–2 diamond formation in contemporary football.[205]

On the other hand, some consider that Zidane's role was more focused in grinding out results and uniting the dressing room, rather than having a fixed tactical scheme.[206][207] Zidane emphasised the importance of players' physical levels and preferred to choose impactful players over a defined system.[208] During his time at Real Madrid, he used several formations, including the 4–3–3, the 4–2–3–1, the 4–4–2, and the 3–5–2,[209] in order to find the system that best suited his players, and has been credited with using "simple systems," "...so that his players have the freedom needed to prove their superiority."[210] As such, although he is not considered to be a tactical innovator, he has been praised for his balanced approach as a coach, and for having the leadership skills and personability to manage and motivate several world class players, create a good team environment, foster professional relationships, and a strong winning mentality; he has also demonstrated an ability to rotate players and get the best out his team, which has played a key role in his success. In 2019 he commented "You ask me about two players but what interests me is the group. Karim is important for the team, not just for his goals. Casemiro gives a lot of balance, but not only that. Everyone contributes something to the team in their own way on the field".[211] Regarding his managerial role at Real Madrid, Zidane commented in 2018: "When you work with high-quality players, they know how to manage those periods of games when you’re not playing well, and they get things back on track very quickly. My job was to keep people calm!"[212] Two of his main influences as a manager are his own former managers Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti.[201][213]

Bordeaux[11]

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995

Juventus[11]

• Serie A: 1996–97, 1997–98
• Supercoppa Italiana: 1997
• UEFA Champions League: runner-up: 1996–97, 1997–98
• UEFA Super Cup: 1996
• Intercontinental Cup: 1996
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999

Real Madrid[11]

• La Liga: 2002–03
• Supercopa de España: 2001, 2003
• UEFA Champions League: 2001–02
• UEFA Super Cup: 2002
• Intercontinental Cup: 2002

France[11]

• FIFA World Cup: 1998; runner-up: 2006
• UEFA European Championship: 2000

Individual

• French Division 1 Young Player of the Year: 1993–94[243]
• French Division 1 Player of the Year: 1995–96[243]
• Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 1996–97, 2000–01
• Ballon d'Or: Bronze award 1997
• FIFA World Player of the Year: Bronze award 1997, 2002[244]
• Onze d'Argent: 1997, 2002, 2003
• FIFA XI: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002[245]
• ESM Team of the Year: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04
• UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: 1998[243]
• L'Équipe International Champion of Champions: 1998[246]
• L'Équipe France Champion of Champions: 1998[246]
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998, 2006
• World Soccer Awards Player of the Year: 1998[243]
• France Football French Player of the Year: 1998, 2002[243]
• Onze d'Or: 1998, 2000, 2001
• Ballon d'Or: 1998[11]
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003[11]
• El País European Player of the Year: 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003
• Onze de Bronze: 1999
• World Soccer's Selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of the 20th century: 1999
• 2nd French Player of the Century (France Football): 2000[247]
• Ballon d'Or: Silver award 2000
• UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 2000[243]
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2000, 2004
• Serie A top assist provider: 2000–01[248]
• Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2000–01
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2003
• Don Balón Award: 2001–02
• La Liga Best Foreign Player: 2001–02[249]
• UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2002
• FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2002
• FIFA 100: 2004
• UEFA Best European Player of the Past 50 Years: 2004
• FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2005, 2006
• IFFHS World's Best Playmaker: 2006[250]
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2006[11]
• FIFA World Player of the Year: Silver award 2006[251]
• UNFP Honorary Award: 2007
• AFS Top-100 Players of All Time #5: 2007[252]
• Marca Leyenda Award: 2008
• Golden Foot Legends Award: 2008
• ESPN Team of the Decade: 2009
• ESPN Player of the Decade: 2009
• Fox Sports Player of the Decade: 2009[253]
• Sports Illustrated Team of the Decade: 2009[254]
• Sports Illustrated Player of the Decade: 2009[243]
• Don Balón Team of the Decade: 2010[255]
• Don Balón Player of the Decade: 2010[255]
• Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: 2011[243]
• UEFA team of teams: 2011[256]
• UEFA Champions League Best Player of the Past 20 Years: 2011[257]
• Équipe type spéciale 20 ans des trophées UNFP: 2011
• Real Madrid Greatest XI of All Time: 2012[258]
• World Soccer Greatest XI of All Time: 2013[259]
• Real Madrid Hall of Fame: 2014[260]
• UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (substitute): 2015[261]
• IFFHS Legends: 2016[262]
• UEFA European Championship All-Time XI: 2016[263]
• FourFourTwo's Selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time #8: 2017[264]
• Juventus Greatest XI of All Time: 2017[265]
• L'Équipe Best French Player of All Time: 2018[266]
• Ballon d'Or Dream Team (Silver): 2020[267]

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2016–17,[268] 2019–20
• Supercopa de España: 2017, 2019–20
• UEFA Champions League: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
• UEFA Super Cup: 2016, 2017
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

Individual

• La Liga Manager of the Month: April 2016, May 2017[269][270]
• UEFA La Liga Team Revelation of the Year: 2015–16[271]
• UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2015–16[272]
• IFFHS World's Best Club Coach – Runner-up: 2016[273]
• The Best FIFA Football Coach: 2017;[274] Runner-up: 2016,[275] 2018[276]
• France Football French Manager of the Year: 2016,[277] 2017[278]
• Le Buteur Coach of the Year: 2016[279]
• UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2016–17,[280] 2019-20[281]
• France Football UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2016–17[282]
• Onze d'Or Coach of the Year: 2016–17,[283][284] 2017–18[285]
• ESPN Manager of the Year: 2017[286]
• IFFHS World's Best Club Coach: 2017,[287] 2018[288]
• IFFHS Men's World Team: 2017[289]
• RMC French Manager of the Year: 2017[290]
• Globe Soccer Awards Best Coach of the Year: 2017[291][292][293]
• World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year: 2017;[294] Runner-up: 2018[295]
• France Football 22nd Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019[296][297]
• Sports illustrated 34th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019[298]
• Miguel Muñoz Trophy: 2019–20[299]
• L'Equipe's Best Club Coach: 2020[300]
• FourFourTwo's 36th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2020[301]
• Globe Soccer Awards Coach of the Century 2001–2020 (Runners-Up)[302]

• Knight of the Legion of Honour: 1998[303]
• National Order of Merit: 2006[304]
• Officer of the Legion of Honour: 2008[305]

• The most expensive footballer in history: 2001–2009[306]
• Oldest player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 34 years and 17 days[307]
• Most goals scored in FIFA World Cup Final matches: 3 goals (shared with Pelé, Vavá and Geoff Hurst)[308]
• Most FIFA World Cup Final matches scored in: 2 matches (shared with Pelé, Vavá and Paul Breitner)[308]
• Most red cards received in FIFA World Cup matches: 2 (shared with Rigobert Song)[308]
• Midfielder with the most appearances in the ESM Team of the Season[309]
• Only player in history to be named player of the year in 3 of the Top 5 Leagues: Division 1 Player of the Year (1996), Serie A Footballer of the Year (2001), Don Balón Award (2002)[310]
• Only player in history to win the World Cup and the European Championship while being named best player of both competitions[311]
• Most Onze d'Or awards: 7 in total (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo)[312]
• Most FIFA World Player of the Year awards: 6 in total[313]

• Best winning streak in the history of La Liga: 16 games (shared with Pep Guardiola)[314]
• Most consecutive away wins in the history of La Liga: 13 games[315]
• Manager with the lowest number of defeats after 100 games (in Spanish football): 8 losses[316]
• Manager with most trophies after 100 games (in Spanish football): 7 titles[317]
• Longest unbeaten run in Real Madrid history: 40 games[318]
• Longest unbeaten run in Spanish football: 40 games[318]
• First French manager, except the French-Argentinian Helenio Herrera, to win UEFA Champions League: 2015–16[319]
• Longest scoring run (all major competitions) in European football: 73 games[320]
• Only manager in history to win two consecutive UEFA Champions League trophies in its modern format: 2015–16, 2016–17[321]
• Only manager to win three consecutive European Cup/UEFA Champions League finals: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18[322]
• Only manager in Real Madrid history to win four trophies in one season[323]
• Only manager in Real Madrid history to win the UEFA Super Cup twice[324]
• First manager to win two consecutive UEFA Super Cup titles since Arrigo Sacchi[323]
• Quickest manager in the history of the Top 5 Leagues to win 7 titles with a single club: 19 months[325]
• Quickest manager in the history of the Top 5 Leagues to win 8 titles with a single club: 23 months[326]
• Quickest manager in history to be named FIFA Football Coach of the Year: 653 days[325]
• Most The Best FIFA Football Coach awards: 3 in total[327]
• Only person in history to win the Onze d'Or award as a player and as a manager[328]
• Only person in history to win FIFA's Player of the Year award and Coach of the Year award[329]
• Only person in history to win the IFFHS award as the best playmaker and as a manager[330]
• Only person in history to win the FIFA Club World Cup trophy successively as a manager[331]
• Only manager in Real Madrid history to win five trophies in a calendar year[332]
• Only person in history to win the FIFA Club World Cup/Intercontinental Cup twice as a player and twice as a manager[333]
• Only person in history to be named French Player of the Year twice and French Manager of the Year twice[334]
• Highest score for a manager winning the IFFHS World's Best Club Coach award: 326 points[330]
• First manager to reach three consecutive UEFA Champions League finals since Marcello Lippi: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18[335]
• Manager with most Champions League trophies: 3 (shared with Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti)[336]