Zinedine Zidane didn’t hesitate when naming the one major club he wished he had the chance to play for during his illustrious career.
Throughout his playing days, Zidane represented four clubs. He began in France with Cannes and Bordeaux, then moved on to significant transfers to Juventus and Real Madrid.
He hung up his boots at the relatively young age of 34, with his final professional match being the 2006 World Cup final between Italy and France. ..Continue Reading
In that unforgettable final, Zidane opened the scoring with a first-half penalty, but Italy equalized, and Zidane later received a straight red card for headbutting Marco Materazzi in extra time. France ultimately did not win the match.
Like many elite athletes, Zidane always felt that itch for more—whether it was winning more trophies, scoring more goals, or achieving the dream of playing for his boyhood club.
Born and raised in the French city of Marseille, Zidane expressed to the club’s official website that he had always wished he could have represented Olympique de Marseille at some point in his career.
In 1992, he moved to Bordeaux, just a year before Marseille became the first winners of the newly renamed Champions League. Despite his impressive career, Zidane never had the opportunity to don the Marseille jersey.
He said: “To be here at La Commanderie, to see the facilities… it looks like a big club. There are some really interesting things.
Zidane chose not to join his local club in his early years, instead honing his skills at the AS Cannes academy. He later moved to Bordeaux, where he spent four years before making his pivotal transfer to Juventus.
During his time at Real Madrid from 2001 to 2006, Zidane solidified his reputation as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He retired at the relatively young age of 34, choosing to end his playing career at the peak of his success.
Unlike many modern players who return to their boyhood clubs before retiring, Zidane opted to hang up his boots while still at the top.
He rejoined Real Madrid in 2016 to start his senior managerial career and concluded his second managerial stint at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2021.
Currently, Zidane is not affiliated with any club, but he has been linked to several top managerial positions. Notably, he is considered a candidate for the soon-to-be-vacant position with the France national team, following Didier Deschamps’ announcement that he will step down after the 2026 World Cup.
