top 10 greatest football players of all time - 4 - Zinedine Zidane

10 November 2011 09:06
Zidane was the iconic and often fiery figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. His name appropriately means ‘an overabundance of talent’ and with that talent came many accolades, record-breaking transfer fees and legendary status.

Zidane has already gone down as one of the greatest talents ever to play the game but his memory will stretch beyond that of the pitch. His temperament was perhaps the hottest the game has ever seen. Shown the red card 14 times in his career and most memorably in the World Cup Final in 2006.

Zidane is a player that makes good sides outstanding sides with his wizardry and vision, its difficult to say the least seeing that French side winning the same silverwear without him in the side. In short he made the improbable much more likely, the difficult look effortless.

Both France and Algeria consider Zidane a citizen, but he was ineligible to play for the Algerian national team. It was rumoured that the then Algerian coach didn't want him as he thought he was too slow but Zidane dismissed this saying he was ineligible simple because he had already played for France.

Honours: After a brief international retirement, he returned to the national team in 2005 and captained France to the 2006 World Cup Final where he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's most outstanding player. He is, alongside Brazilian striker Ronaldo, the only three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner; he also won the Ballon d'Or in 1998.

World Cup 1998, Champions League (01-02)

Full nameZinedine Zidane
Date of birth24 June 1972
Place of birthMarseille, France
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionMidfielder

Zinedine Zidane image



Source: DSG