Zinedine Zidane Revealed his Idol When Growing up

Ask a cross-section of players from the current generation who their childhood idol was, and chances are the name Zinedine Zidane will come up several times.

Considered one of the greatest French players in football history, ‘Zizou’ was a magician of the round ball, and an artist of the beautiful game. A player unanimously recognised as one of the game’s greats, whose career, achievements and style of play have made him a legend.

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From AS Cannes to Real Madrid, via Juventus, the former No.5 has won it all. World Cup, Ballon d’Or, Champions League, nothing stood in his way and his legacy remains intact today. But like all football fans, Zidane also grew up admiring the exploits of his elders. And one of them particularly marked his youth.

Zinedine Zidane Grew up Idolising Enzo Francescoli

At a time when the Uruguayan was wearing the colours of Olympique de Marseille

As he himself revealed in an interview with Lionel Messi in 2023, Zidane recognises Enzo Francescoli as his childhood idol. Or at least the No.10 he most admired, in relation to the question asked, during his younger years. And the rest of his career, the way he played with the ball, proved that the Uruguayan had indeed had a significant influence on the attacking midfielder.

But the link between Zidane and Francescoli does not end there. After becoming a father, the former Bordeaux man decided to name one of his sons, Enzo, in tribute to the Uruguayan. It was an exceptional gift, and undoubtedly one of the finest Francescoli has received in his life, proof of the love the Frenchman has for his South American counterpart.

It was a love that Zidane would finally see fulfilled in 1996 when the two players played on the same pitch – for the first and only time in their respective careers — in the 1996 Intercontinental Cup final between Juve and River Plate. It was a magical moment and one in which the Bianconeri player left with his role model’s shirt.

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Francescoli’s Passage to France Potentially Decisive in Zidane’s Career

A short but intense adventure

Perhaps Zidane’s career would not have been the same without Francescoli’s arrival in France. Maybe his influence would not have been sufficient to make Zidane one of the most skilful players in football history. But in the end, all this will remain nothing more than supposition.

Although it only lasted four years, the Uruguayan playmaker’s adventure in France was a remarkable one. However, it is important to remember that this adventure did not begin in the South of France, but in its capital. At RC Paris, or Matra Paris as it was then known, to be precise. A sort of nouveau riche of French football, Francescoli played for the club between 1986 and 1989, before moving to Marseille.

Marseille, a city that the South Americans consider a little like a ‘second home’, where the sun warms the hearts and the fervour for football the stadiums. Particularly the Velodrome, where Francescoli played for a season and won the French championship. All this under the eyes of a young Zidane, originally from the Castellane district, whose graceful gestures provoked an unprecedented feeling in him.

At the time, no one knew it, not even the two involved, but Francescoli had perhaps just created a World Champion. A competition that even he, one of the greatest players in Uruguayan history, has never won. Proof that even idols have idols.

All statistics per Transfermarkt.