Joel Richards 

A football icon, Zinedine Zidane is assured of his place in the game’s all-time greats.

After he began his fledgeling career at Cannes and Bordeaux, it was with Juventus where Zidane truly made his name. In 212 appearances for I Bianconeri, Zidane scored 31 times as he was part of a side that won two Serie A titles and reached consecutive UEFA Champions League final appearances.

But it was in 1998 when Zidane reached the pinnacle of world football. Born in Marseille to Algerian parents, the midfielder opted to represent France and he played a crucial role as his double in the World Cup final against Brazil helped secure a 3-0 win for Les Blues. Eight years later, Zidane and France reached the final again and the No.10’s penalty in the final against Italy meant he became the 4th player to score in two World Cup finals. 

In fact, no player has scored more goals than Zidane in world football’s biggest game. His performances in 2006 earned him the tournament’s golden ball and aged 34 years, 17 days, Zidane is the oldest player to win the accolade.

However, the red card issued in that same final for his headbutt on Marco Materazzi meant he’s the only French player to have been sent off more than once in a World Cup.

Elsewhere though, Zidane is a league of his own as the only player to win both the World Cup and European Championships while being named the best player of each tournament. In addition, he’s also the only player to be named player in the year in three of Europe’s big five leagues.