Zinedine Zidane is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time, famous for leading his national team France to victory at the 1998 World Cup. Named best European soccer player of the past 50 years by the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll,Zidane also won FIFA World Player of the Year/Ballon d’Or 3 times, and played at some of the top clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid and Juventus.

Zidane has matched the success of his playing career as manager of Real Madrid, guiding the club to three consecutive Champions League titles.Born in Marseille, Zidane was spotted at 14 years old and began to play in Cannes youth division, making his first professional appearance for the club when he was 17. He began to make a name for himself after a transfer to Bordeaux, where the attacking midfielder began to get noticed for his flair and all-around play. Zidane’s career reached new heights following a transfer to Italian giants Juventus, where he helped the side win a UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and two Series A titles.

In 1998, the French national team met Brazil in the final of the World Cup, and Zidane scored two of the goals that sealed France’s first ever World Cup victory. Named as man of the match, Zidane became a national hero and went on to receive the Légion d’honneur. Zidane lead the side to international glory once again two years later when they beat Italy to win the European Championship. Zidane signed for Real Madrid for a record-breaking fee of $66 million in 2001, and later returned to the club becoming first team manager in 2016. Zidane has had overwhelming success managing the side, guiding the club to three consecutive Champions League titles amongst numerous other titles.