PARIS — Rising from the tough streets of Marseille to the summit of world soccer, Zinedine Zidane is the most accomplished active player in the world. And he's aiming for the game's biggest prize--another World Cup title.
Along with Brazil's Ronaldo, the French midfielder is the only two-time FIFA player of the year. Unlike Ronaldo, he also owns world and European titles.
And while the Brazilian barely has played in recent years because of injury, Zidane's form is as good as ever.
Still, this son of Algerian immigrants who became the idol of a nation by leading France to the World Cup four years ago remains modest--even if he is soccer's most expensive player.
"I simply enjoy being on the field. I want to have fun," the soft-spoken star said.
Zidane, 29, certainly has had his share of exhilarating moments.
At 13, he left the tough Castellane district in Marseille for a youth program at a local club, Cannes. Ten years later, Zidane reached the final of the UEFA Cup with Bordeaux.
After moving to Juventus, he won the Italian championship two years running, becoming a star in the soccer-mad country.
"It's Juventus that gave me this standing," Zidane said. "Without this club, perhaps everything would be different."
But Zidane's greatest achievements were to come in the international game.
He scored twice against the Czech Republic in his first match for France and later reached the semifinals of the 1996 European Cup.
His France '98 campaign began on a sour note after he stomped on a Saudi Arabian player in a first-round game, earning a two-match suspension.
Instantly recognizable by his big bald patch, the playmaker was back to face Italy in the quarterfinals, converting a penalty kick in the shootout.
Few could have predicted what happened next.
In the final against Brazil, the big favorite for the title, Zidane scored twice in the first half with near-identical headers. Although Emmanuel Petit netted the third and final goal, the stunning French victory belonged to Zidane.
When the French team paraded down the Champs-Elysees the next day, hundreds of thousands of fans chanted "Zizou for president, Zizou for president," using Zidane's nickname.
Alongside supporters waving the blue, white and red of the French flag were those raising the Algerian national colors--white, green and red--in honor of Zidane's North African origins.
