Zinedine Zidane of France being pursued by Andrea Pirlo of Italy during the FIFA World Cup Germany final match between Italy and France at Olympic Stadium in Berlin on July 9, 2006.
Zinedine Zidane, byname Zizou, (born June 23, 1972, Marseille, France), French football (soccer) player. He was a rangy midfielder, noted for his footwork skills and field vision. He played for several European teams, notably Juventus (1996–2001) and Real Madrid (2001–06), and was a three-time recipient of FIFA’s World Player of the Year award (1998, 2000, 2003). In international competition, Zidane helped France win the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. In his last international appearance, he was ejected from the 2006 World Cup final, which France lost, but he won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
