#7 Zinedine Zidane

 

#7 Zinedine Zidane (France) - 1998 Ballon d'Or winner

Zinedine Zidane is the greatest French player of the 21st century.

Zinedine Zidane is the bridge between modern football and eras gone by. Silky and languid in possession yet powerful and efficient, Zizou was a complete midfielder. Despite Platini's undeniable quality, Zidane gets the edge because of his long, decorated career and his 1998 FIFA World Cup triumph.

Zidane famously led France to their first World Cup trophy, scoring twice in a 3-0 demolition of Brazil in the 1998 Paris final. Two years later, France were Euro 2000 champions, with Zidane being named the Player of the Tournament.

He then led them on a surprise run to the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, putting in a Man of the Match performance against Brazil in the quarter-final. Despite the heartbreak and controversy in the final, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball for Best Player of the Tournament.

Zizou's club career was equally successful. After making his name with Bordeaux, Zidane truly established himself as a global superstar with Juventus. He made 212 appearances for the Bianconeri, scoring 31 goals and assisting 38 times, and winning two Serie A titles. The highlight of Zidane's time in Italy was winning the 1998 Ballon d'Or award. He was also named the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998 and 2000.

He then completed a blockbuster transfer to Real Madrid ahead of the 2001-02 season for an enormous €76 million, a record fee at that time. The Frenchman made 227 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 49 goals and assisting 67 strikes. Zidane was named FIFA Player of the Year again in 2003; Real Madrid won the 2002 Champions League and the 2003 La Liga title with the Frenchman.

Zidane was the only player in history to be named Player of the Year in three of Europe's top five domestic leagues before Cristiano Ronaldo emulated the feat in 2019. L'Equipe later named Zidane the Best French Player of All Time.

Ronaldinho, who got a close-up view of Zidane's greatness while playing for Brazil and Barcelona, said:

“Zidane is one of the best footballers of all time, one of my idols. He had such elegance and grace, a wonderful touch and superb vision.”