France: Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane, the most expensive player in the history of football and the inspiration behind France’s 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 triumphs, is primed for action on the global stage once again this summer.

The Real Madrid midfield maestro celebrates his 30th birthday on June 23, 2002, and unless the well-oiled French machine suffers a catastrophic breakdown, expect Zidane and Co to be marking the occasion with a quiet sip of wine in anticipation for a semi-final date three days later.

Roger Lemerre’s team are fancied to hoist back-to-back World Cup crowns for the first time since the great Brazil side of 1958 and 1962.

And if another million fans are to flood the Champs Elysee to welcome home their heroes, it will undoubtedly have much to do with one man, the one born as Fahid Zidane, to Algerian parents.

The boy who would eventually move from Juventus to Real Madrid in an eye-watering £47.7million transfer was nicknamed Zinedine, which means ‘defender of the faith’ in Arabic, the native tongue of his mother and father.

True, Zidane could never stand accused of doing too much defending on the pitch, but it is in the attacking half of the field where he is paid to perform ﷓ as a gifted footballing genius who can leave opponents on the seat of their pants in one mesmerising movement.

Zidane played for Cannes and Bordeaux before springing onto the world stage by switching to Italian giants Juventus shortly after an average Euro 96.

At the Turin club, he helped stock up the trophy cabinet with a raft of awesome performances that ultimately catapulted him his 1998 double of World and European player of the year, and subsequently 2000 World player of the year.

In Zidane’s five years at the Stadio delle Alpi, Juve won two Serie A titles, finished runners-up twice, reached the Champions League final in 1997 and 98 and won several other cups.

For his country, he was also a revelation. He nodded home a brace of headers in the 3-0 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil and then really lit up Euro 2000.

Zidane was a pivotal figure throughout the tournament in Holland and Belgium, as the World Cup holders also became kings of Europe.

The midfielder then became the key figure in the Real Madrid camp after his near-£50million summer transfer. And the influence of the French playmaker at the Bernabeu is clearly telling, with Real looking to be heading for the Champions League final.

Now almost 30 and balding more than ever, Zidane is once again setting his sights on the world crown.

Expect Zidane to help his side coast through the first phase ﷓ and if the French top Group A and England finish second in Group F, Sven’s men will get the opportunity to marvel at Zidane’s ability first-hand, in round two.