Football Legends: World Cup-winning superstar Zinedine Zidane
Widely regarded as the best midfielder ever to have played football, the now-retired footballer Zinedine Zidane is a World Cup-winning superstar who has played for not only the French national team, but also for some of the most
prestigious football clubs in the world, including Real Madrid and Juventus.
His international record for France is enviable. The man affectionately known in France as Zizou made himself known to the world in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as the architect behind France’s triumph. He later helped France clinch
the 2000 UEFA Euro championship. His injury in the 2002 World Cup was what resulted in Les Bleus’ shock exit from the tournament that year. In 2006, then-captain Zidane was named the most outstanding player of the World Cup, although unfortunately his team
lost out to Italy via penalties in the final.
Zidane possessed exceptional physical strength, control of the ball, and a breathtaking first touch. He could single-handedly win matches for his team. His tremendous vision enabled him to conjure up a high number of imaginative
assists. He was equally brilliant with both the right and left foot, and with head or chest, and scored some of the most brilliant goals ever seen. His shot accuracy was staggering, and he packed quite a punch when striking the ball.
He was a man for the big occasion. He scored two magnificent headed goals in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final. In the 2002 UEFA Champions League final, he scored the winning goal for Real Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen. His left-foot
volley flew into the top corner; this goal is regarded as the greatest in the competition’s history.
In 2006, he was at the height of his career, the best player on display, and was instrumental in the progression of the French team during the World Cup. His performance against the much fancied Brazilians was absolutely incredible.
Hands down, he was the best player on the pitch among stars like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka and Robinho. It was as if Zidane was from another planet altogether. His 360s were simply exquisite, his step-overs were magic, his shots were thunderbolts, and his
passing was telepathic. He was a true crowd-pleaser.
The one blemish on his illustrious career was probably the red card he received after he head-butted Italy’s Marco Materazzi during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final.
Despite this incident, Zidane was not blamed for France’s loss. He is still considered a god in France and is idolised by every aspiring young midfielder in the world. He has won every possible accolade in the game. He has won
the highest number of FIFA World Player of the Year Awards (three), a record he shares with Luis Ronaldo. He is also a winner of the European Player of the Year Award. He was voted the player of the tournament in both the Champions League and the World Cup.
Indeed, Zizou has won it all.
Tags: