Greatest XI of the last 25 years

#8 Attacking Midfield: Zinedine Zidane

Zidane’s unforgettable volley that brought home Real’s ninth CL title

How can I explain poetry when you haven’t watched Zidane play?

Quite simply put, Zinedine Zidane was exemplary – a quintessential artist who portrayed a beautiful picture every time the ball was at his feet. An example of absolute elegance and class personified, Zidane dazzled the world with his dribbling, exquisite touches and unbelievable ball control. The former France international is synonymous with the 360-degree turn and it became a signature act of his play.

The pinnacle moment of his illustrious career was the 1998 World Cup final win on home soil against favourites Brazil as his marvellous performance that night helped France sweep the South American giants 3-0 and claim their first and only World Cup trophy. A couple of years later, France’s golden generation continued to dominate the international scene as they followed up their 1998 triumph with a Euro win in 2000.

After establishing his status as a national hero, the French midfielder made a move to Spain as he joined La Liga giants Real Madrid in 2001. Expectations were soaring amongst the Bernabeu faithful especially due to the record transfer fee then (€75 million) which Madrid had spent to land him from Juventus. And the dividends were paid in full as his exceptional volley won them their ninth Champions League title in 2002 against Bayern Leverkusen.

Zidane’s heroics on the international scene were revisited in 2006 as he came out of international retirement and guided France to the 2006 World Cup final. The fable in Germany was almost perfect up until the infamous red card incident with Marco Materazzi where he was sent off in the final after head-butting the Italian centre back.

Not a fitting farewell one would have hoped for but nonetheless, his was a legendary career that set the bar for the next generation.