Zinedine Zidane Returns to France National Team

Zinedine Zidane is heading back to the France national team, this time not as the elegant No 10 but as the man in charge on the touchline. The news that the 1998 World Cup winner has agreed to take over Les Bleus has sent French football into overdrive, with L’Équipe reporting he will officially start on September 1 and other outlets indicating a deal that runs through mid-2030.

While the country prepares for the return of “Zizou” in a suit rather than a shirt, another member of the Zidane family has already taken a very different path.

Luca Zidane, the son who chose Algeria

Luca Zidane, 28, quietly stepped away from the France set-up last September and committed his international future to Algeria. The decision took him out of the long shadow of his father’s legacy with Les Bleus and into the colours of the North African nation.

He did not go there to make up the numbers. Despite suffering a chin and jaw injury shortly before the tournament, Luca started in goal for Algeria at this World Cup, entrusted with the No 1 role on the biggest stage. Bandaged, bruised, but in goal – it underlined how quickly he has become central to their plans.

From Real Madrid’s academy to La Liga 2

Luca’s story began, fittingly, at Real Madrid. He came through the club’s academy, learning his trade at Valdebebas while his father was building his own legend first as a player and later as coach.

His professional debut arrived in 2018, with Zinedine Zidane in the dugout at the Santiago Bernabéu. Luca made two La Liga appearances for Real Madrid before the club and player parted ways in 2020. For a young goalkeeper trying to emerge at one of the most demanding clubs in the world, those minutes were precious but limited.

He moved on that same summer, signing a two-year contract with Rayo Vallecano. Before leaving Madrid completely, he also spent time on loan at Racing de Santander during his final season under Real’s umbrella, gaining the regular football he needed away from the glare of the Bernabéu.

The next step took him to SD Eibar. Between 2022 and 2024, Luca guarded the posts for the Basque side in Spain’s second tier, building a reputation as a solid, technically sharp goalkeeper in a league that punishes any hesitation.

His performances earned him another move within La Liga 2, this time to Granada CF, his current club. From Real Madrid’s academy to the grind of Spain’s lower divisions, he has carved out a career on his own terms.

Now, as Zinedine Zidane prepares to lead France into a new era, Luca Zidane stands in goal for Algeria and plays his club football in Granada. Two careers, two badges, one surname – and a reminder that football legacies do not always follow a single, predictable line.