Zidane, Zinédine

Zidane, Zinédine, 1972–, French soccer player. The son of Algerian immigrants, Zidane, nicknamed Zizou, was an attacking midfielder and one of the finest contemporary footballers. He played for France's Cannes (1987–92) and Girondins (1992–96), Italy's Juventus (1996–2001), and Spain's Real Madrid (2001–6), racking up major championships and cups with each squad. European footballer of the year in 1998, he also was a four-time world footballer of the year (1998, 2000, 2003, 2006). Zidane joined (1994) the French national team and in 1998 led them to World Cup victory, winning the Golden Ball. In 2000 he was a key factor in France's capture of the European Cup. In the 2006 World Cup final (which France lost), Zidane was ejected for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi, who had made a personally insulting remark, but he was again awarded the Golden Ball.