Zidane eclipses Ronaldo
Zizou’s match-winning performance against Brazil earned him a place in the hearts of his compatriots
It seemed that there was only going to be one hero emerging from the 1998 World Cup final.
Ronaldo had been in sparkling form for Brazil throughout the tournament. Coming off the back of a stellar season with Inter Milan, ‘O Fenomeno’ replicated his club form with match-winning performances that helped the Selecao progress to within touching distance of retaining the World Cup.
But on the eve of the final, Ronaldo suffered a strange ‘convulsion’, in his own words, and was a mere shadow of the fearsome forward we’d seen in the lead up to the final at the Stade de France. The 21-year-old’s misfortune, however, paved the way for someone else to make the stage his own. Step forward, Zinedine Zidane.
‘Zizou’ already had a wealth of tournament experience under his belt but didn’t exactly shine at Euro 1996, which saw Les Bleus bow out at the semi-final stage. His World Cup campaign also threatened to frustrate when he was shown a red card for stamping on Fuad Anwar during France’s otherwise blissful 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
But the fiery playmaker managed to keep his temperament in check on his return to the side - his successful spot-kick in France’s penalty shoot-out against Italy in the quarter-final evidence of his ability to keep a cool head – a part of his anatomy he would use to full effect against Brazil.
With Ronaldo not even close to the peak of his powers for reasons unknown at the time, France dominated an incoherent Brazil side with Zidane the creator in chief, determined to absorb and thrive under the pressure and lead Aime Jacquet’s side to World Cup glory for the first time in French history.
The then-Juventus maestro laid on two clear-cut chances for Stephane Guivarc’h and Youri Djorkaeff within the first 20 minutes, before taking matters into his own hands. Allowed a free run at an Emmanuel Petit corner by Ronaldo, Zidane powered a header past Taffarel to give his side a lead they richly deserved midway through the first half. The hosts began to express themselves as the half wore on - Djorkaeff and Guivarc’h again guilty of missing chances - but Zidane eventually, and perhaps inevitably, hammered home his country’s superiority with a near carbon copy of his first goal.
Another France corner was not dealt with by Brazil, another Selecao player allowed Zidane to run free, and another headed goal propelled the former Real Madrid boss to greatness. The French went on to win 3-0, Petit finishing off a smooth counter-attack in second-half stoppage time.
From the ignominy of his Euro ’96 outings to the disgrace following his sending off against Saudi Arabia, Zidane, talisman for both club and country for the majority of his glittering career, flourished under the burden of expectation and made a strong case for him to be seen as the best French player of all time.
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