If you’re looking for football inspiration, the story of Zinedine Zidane is one that will surely captivate you. This is the tale of a French football legend who rose from humble beginnings. Born into a working-class family, Zidane’s father, Smaïl Zidane, worked as a warehouseman and security guard, often taking night shifts to provide for his family. Growing up in a tough neighbourhood in Marseille, known for its crime and challenges, Zidane found his escape in football.
Humble Roots, Global Fame: The Unforgettable Story of Zinedine Zidane
His love for the game began at just five years old, playing with neighborhood kids. Despite the difficulties of his environment, his passion for football fueled his rise to greatness. We’ll also delve into one of the most controversial moments of his career—his infamous sending-off in the World Cup final against Italy after headbutting Marco Materazzi.
In this biography, we’ll go beyond the headlines and offer you a deep dive into Zidane’s life story. From his childhood and family background to his rise in football, we’ll introduce you to the key people in his life: his parents, Smaïl and Malika Zidane, his brothers Madjid, Farid, and Noureddine, and his wife, Véronique Fernández. Without further ado, let’s explore the remarkable journey of “Zizou.”
Zinedine Zidane Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, he bears the nickname – Zizou. Zinedine Yazid Zidane was born on the 23rd of June 1972 in Marseille, France, to Smaïl Zidane (his father) and Malika Zidane (his mother), both of Algerian descent.
This is Zinedine Zidane in his childhood.
Zidane grew up in La Castellane, a crime-ridden housing development in Marseille, a port city in the south of France. Aside from crime, unemployment and suicide rates were alarmingly high in the migrant neighbourhood.
His father, Smail Zidane, had steady work as an overnight department store watchman, though the family had to live in tight quarters—not all seven could sit down together and eat. This led to young Zizou developing a quest to end poverty in his family.
Zinedine Zidane Biography – Career Start:
At just five years old, Zidane first experienced the game of football, joining in with the local kids from his neighborhood. This early introduction sparked what would become a lifelong passion for the sport.
At that time, there was no hope for North African French Migrants in the game. In fact, Zizou was the one who set the example for others to follow.
For his migrant friends, football was just a sport to pass out time. For Zizou himself, football was a quest to end the poverty that has plagued his family and loved ones. It didn’t take time before his good early start caught the eyes of sports notables.
Thus, his quest to register at a youth football club came scaled through. Zizou registered at the US Saint-Henri Football Club in the year 1981.
As the only Algerian immigrant playing in the club, Zizou was constantly made the subject of racial slurs and mockery about his ghetto origins by his mates and opponents.
He turned a deaf ear to them. He took the alternative of leaving the club for SO Septèmes-les-Vallons, where he played from 1983 to 1986.
Another move to Cannes in 1986. He ended his youth career there in 1989. He started his youth career as a nine but later moved to a ten role.
Zinedine Zidane’s early life in career football.
These deaf ears to racism, however, didn’t last long after he joined Cannes’s senior team. He took the option of fighting those who abused him.
This led to punishment as he spent most of his initial senior career weeks on cleaning duty as a punishment for punching players who mocked where he came from.
Zinedine Zidane Family Life:
To start with, Zinedine comes from a humble French/Algerian football family. Unlike people in the neighbourhood, the Zidane family is respected a lot.
They lived a reasonably comfortable life back then, unlike others who were involved in high crime and were basically unemployed.
His father, pictured below, was a former warehouseman by profession. He retired after his son made it to football.
Zinedine Zidane Father- Smaïl Zidane.
His mother, Malika Zidane, pictured below, was a former homemaker. Malika Zidane also got retired when her son made it in football.
Zinedine Zidane Mother- Malika Zidane.
About Zinedine Zidane Brothers:
Pictured here, the football legend has three siblings. Did you know?… The Zinedine Zidane siblings are all look-alikes.
Zinedine Zidane Brothers.
Madjid Zidane (left), Farid Zidane (bottom right) and Noureddine Zidane (top) were reunited with the entire Zidane family on 7 May 2006 for Zinedine’s farewell at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
The three brothers of “Zizou” are equally involved in managing his affairs as both a player and coach.
About Zinedine Zidane Sister:
Zinedine Zidane has a younger sister named Lila Zidane.
Lila is also involved in Zidane’s career management. She is in charge of managing his image rights.
Love Life:
Similar to Endrick, the love story of Zinedine Zidane began when he was just 17 years old. While playing for Cannes during the 1988–89 season, Zidane met Véronique Fernández, a woman of Spanish descent born in Aveyron. From that moment, their bond grew into what many would call true love.
Introducing Véronique Fernández and Zidane.
Before becoming widely known as the wife of one of football’s greatest legends, Véronique Fernández Lentisco had her own thriving career as a dancer and model. Stunning and graceful, Véronique married Zinedine Zidane in 1994, and their love story has stood the test of time ever since.
Zinedine Zidane Love Story with Veronique Fernandez Lentisco.
The fruit of their marriage started coming a year later. They have four sons at the time of writing. Enzo Alan Zidane Fernández was born 24 March 1995, Luca Zinedine Zidane Fernández (born 13 May 1998), Theo Zidane Fernández (born 18 May 2002), and Elyaz Zidane Fernández (born 26 December 2005).
Zinedine Zidane Family Life – Introducing his Children.
All of Zidane’s four boys passed through the Real Madrid Academy. His first son, Enzo, is a midfielder, while Luca is a goalkeeper. Theo and Elyaz are also midfielders.
Véronique and Zinedine Zidane have shared over 20 years of love and companionship, standing by each other through life’s ups and downs. Early in their relationship, Zinedine began losing his hair, but he embraced it with confidence. He once said, “My wife loves me like that, so it’s not a problem,” showing how Véronique’s love gave him assurance no matter the changes.
Character:
This moment summed up the sad end of Zinedine Zidane’s career.
Zidane might look like one of the calmest persons on the planet, but that is far from the truth. He was notorious for his fiery temper—something that, according to some, cost him another World Cup winner’s medal.
The Community Service Red Card:
What happens when you get a red card in the final game of your career, given that you can’t serve the suspension since you’re not a player anymore and hence won’t play anyway? You do community service. This was the case of ZIzou.
After ‘Zizou’ got a red card for head-butting Marco Materazzi, he had to do community service since his retirement rendered the can obsolete.
While the details of the community service weren’t disclosed, it was reported that he would serve it within FIFA’s Humanitarian activities. That means he could have swept the roads or cleaned the toilets. Who knows?
But what we do know is that if you get red in the final game of your career for violent conduct, you sure as hell won’t get away with it. You’ll be paying a fine only.
Red Card Record:
Continuing the aforementioned point about his reckless behaviour, Zidane has another record under his name—something that he would not have liked to have.
As he was playing in his second-ever World Cup game against Saudi Arabia in 1998, the French-Algerian displayed another one of his fits as he stamped on Saudi player Fuad Anwar.
It didn’t go unnoticed as the referee produced a straight red card for Zidane’s defiant act, making him the first-ever French player to be sent off after receiving a red card in a World Cup game.
Zinedine Zidane Facts – Red Card History.
In the end, he made up for it, as his two goals in the final of that tournament gave France her first-ever World Cup trophy.
First Car:
The Real Madrid Legend made his debut for Cannes at the mere age of 16. The club’s president was so fond of his crown jewel that he promised him a car as a gift when he scored his first goal at the club. And he had to wait two years to get his hand on a brand-new car.
On the 10th of February 1991, he scored his first-ever competitive goal against Nantes in a match which was narrowly won by Cannes by two goals to 1.
It was the first of many goals he went on to score in his professional career. He might not have as many goals as one would expect from an attacking midfielder.
However, there is a claim that he hated being inside the opponent’s box and just loved to feed the strikers instead.
Goal Fact:
We all remember Zidane for his headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final. Before that, he was remembered for his astounding performance against Brazil in the final of the 1998 World Cup.
Zidane performed exceptionally well in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
In that game, he scored two goals to lead Les Blues to a rampant 3-0 win against Brazil. Many know this.
However, what many don’t know is that the two goals he scored were—and still remain—the only two goals that he ever scored against South American nations on an international level.
It’s quite a strange fact, given that his career spanned for over a decade, and he had quite a few encounters against Latin teams. However, those two goals were perhaps the most important ones he ever scored.
Inspired Many into Football:
The French soccer Legend is an idol to virtually all Muslim footballers who started out poor in Europe. His team’s performance at the FIFA 1998 World Cup inspired the likes of Karim Benzema (CF), N’Golo Kante (DM), Tiemoue Bakayoko, Eden Hazard (LW), Anthony Martial, Antoine Griezmann (CF), Ousmane Dembele (RW) and Alexandre Lacazette (CF) to take football more seriously during their youths.
Zinedine Zidane Religion Contradiction:
Nothing except this picture below says he is a devout Muslim.
More so, naming all his children Christian names again is in contradiction with describing him as a “devout Muslim”. However, he was known to usually say the Ayat al-Kursi before each game when he was a footballer.
Fact Check:
Thank you for reading this version of Zinedine Zidane’s Biography. We care about accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver the Life stories of footballers who have Algerian family origins. Surely, you’ll enjoy reading the story of Ismael Bennacer, Michael Olise, Nabil Fekir, and Karim Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner.
