SUMMARY
- Soccer icon Zinedine Zidane was born in Marseille, France. However, he has African roots.
- Zidane's career, both as a player and a manager, has been marked by unparalleled success and contributions.
Zinedine Zidane is one of the most elegant soccer players of all time. The French midfielder dazzled with his creative outlet and also scored some out-of-this-world goals. ‘Zizou’ as fans fondly know him, was a game-changer at his time with his aura enough to inflict fear in his opponent’s mind. An icon of the game, Zinedine Zidane quickly transformed into an elite manager, once he hung his boots in 2006.
Zinedine Zidane vs Brazil, 2006. One of the finest performances ever at a World Cup. pic.twitter.com/N60YmyLUmW
— 90s Football (@90sfootball) December 8, 2022
Fans have kept close tabs on Zidane’s on-the-pitch affairs. His skills compilations still gross over a million views on YouTube easily. However, some of them are yet to know about the personal details of the French great. His religion and ethnicity are particularly of interest to Zizou’s fans.
What religion does Zizou follow?
Zinedine Zidane was born into a Muslim household in Marseille, France. However, the French soccer player isn’t as devout as his parents, and describes himself as a ‘non-practicing Muslim.’ The former Real Madrid player and manager has declined to comment about his religion or god in the press or on social media. It seems that Zizou is a very private person regarding his faith.
However, the 51-year-old must have had god’s blessing to have such an illustrious career. Zinedine Zidane was instrumental for both club and country, where he won numerous titles. The Frenchman left his mark wherever he went as his greatness transcended geography. As a manager too, Zinedine enjoyed massive success, overseeing Real Madrid’s historic UCL 3-peat.
The nationality and ethnicity of Zinedine Zidane
The Frenchman’s parents emigrated from Kabyle, a mountainous region in Northern Algeria, to France in 1953. Zinedine Zidane therefore, from his parents’ side qualifies for the citizenship of Algeria.
The 51-year-old however, decided to represent the country that he was born on the soccer pitch. However, the Frenchman has stayed true to his roots and has helped Algeria, when the country needed its hero the most.
The former Juventus midfielder visited the North African country in 2006 after the World Cup. He oversaw the construction of a pediatric center that was destroyed in a 2003 earthquake. His parents, Smail and Malika accompanied Zizou on the tour. Many Algerians turned up to watch their hero as Zinedine Zidane returned to his parents’ home.
The love for the Algerians came to the fore again, when Zinedine Zidane won Al-Athir, the highest civilian award in December 2006. With this, the Frenchman created history, as the soccer legend became one of the few people on earth who has won the highest civilian award of two different nations. He had earlier won the Legion d’honneur award in 1998. Truly, the greatness of Zidane has mesmerized people across borders.