Zinedine Zidane’s son Luca set for World Cup with Algeria: ‘I’ve always tried to make my own path’ – The Athletic
The 2006 World Cup final featured one of the most dramatic moments in football history.
Zinedine Zidane, who had put France 1-0 up with an audacious early Panenka penalty, was sent off in extra time for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi.
Watching from the stands at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium was Zidane’s eight-year-old son Luca. He had attended all of France’s games throughout the tournament and was distraught at the end when Italy took the trophy in a penalty shootout — even if he now brushes off that unforgettable match, and his father’s role in it, by saying: “What happened happened. Football is like that.”
Two decades later, Luca Zidane is about to play in a World Cup himself. Born in France, and having lived most of his life in Spain, where he is goalkeeper for second division side Granada, he chose last autumn to represent Algeria, where his paternal grandparents were born.
“We’ve lived in an Algerian culture since we were small,” he says. “It’s an honour to play for Algeria. The final decision was mine, but I spoke with my family, my parents, my brothers, my grandfather. My father was happy, he knew it was something I wanted to do. To be able to play in a World Cup is a dream for any kid.”
Zidane, 28, made his international debut in October, then played at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Algeria lost in the quarter-finals against Nigeria on January 10.
On Tuesday in Kansas City (8pm CT, 2am on Wednesday in the UK), he will be his side’s last line of defence against Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champions Argentina.
“Messi is one of the greatest players in history,” he says. “But Algeria is a big football nation. We can surprise people. And we have our own threats: (Riyad) Mahrez is a great player too.”
The Zidane family home has been the Spanish capital of Madrid since 2001, the year Zinedine became a Bernabeu galactico when signing from Juventus. All four children — Enzo (born in 1995), Luca (1998), Theo (2002) and Elyaz (2005) — followed their father’s footsteps almost as soon as they could walk.
“Ever since we were very small we’d all go to (Real Madrid’s) Valdebebas (academy) to train,” Luca Zidane says. “We’d also play the whole day at home: two against two in the garden. “There’d be some rows too, we’re all competitive. My mum used to get a bit tired of it, but they’re really good memories.”
The only family member to play in goal, he progressed through Madrid’s youth ranks and was first choice as the under-18 team reached the semi-finals of the 2015-16 UEFA Youth League.
His father was then Madrid’s head coach, and in the following seasons Luca was often called to train with the senior side along with Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema.
Luca and Zinedine Zidane in Real Madrid training in May 2018 (Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images)
“At home he’s your father, but when you go to Valdebebas he’s just the coach,” Zidane says.
“He could be a bit harder on you than on the other players, but it didn’t bother me. At that age, whoever is your coach, you have to work hard every day to get to the highest level possible.”
More experience came playing for reserve team Real Madrid Castilla on Spain’s third tier alongside Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior. During 2016-17, Zidane played eight games for Castilla alongside his older brother Enzo, a more regular presence in midfield. In 2024, Enzo retired from football at the age of 29, his final season coming with Fuenlabrada, again in the Spanish third division.
With Keylor Navas first choice for the seniors, Luca picked up winners’ medals as an unused Real Madrid substitute in the 2017-18 UEFA Super Cup and Supercopa de Espana. After just two La Liga appearances for the first team, he decided to join second division side Racing Santander on loan in summer 2019.
“Navas was there, Kiko Casilla and then (Thibaut) Courtois was signed,” he says. “I went to Racing to play every week, which is the most important thing.”
With his club jersey saying ‘Luca’ rather than ‘Zidane’, he then signed for Rayo Vallecano, helping them get promoted to La Liga in 2020-21 under recently appointed Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola. In 2022 he left for Eibar, before joining Granada for €500,000 in July 2024.
Zidane says he feels at home in the city, with its Moorish cultural legacy including the beautiful Alhambra palace. Two of his brothers also live in Andalusia. Midfielder Theo, 24, played regularly in midfield for Cordoba in the same division as Granada last season. Defender Elyaz, 20, continued his development with (Seville-based) Real Betis’ youth team in the third tier.
The Zidane family pictured with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez after Zinedine was appointed manager in 2016. Luca is on the right (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Over two seasons at Granada, Zidane has fought hard to establish himself as a starter, although he accepts that no matter how many saves he makes, any mistakes will always make headlines, especially given his name. One such unfortunate moment came in a key promotion battle against Racing Santander in June last year, when he gave away a cheap goal with a poor clearance.
“When you’re called Zidane, everything you do has more of an impact,” he says. “People are waiting for something bad to happen, so they can talk about it. But I’ve had to deal with it since I was small, so it’s natural for me. I’m always trying to improve every day, to be as good a goalkeeper as I can be.”
Wherever they have been based, the Zidane family has kept a tight connection to Marseille, where Zinedine’s parents Smail and Malika arrived from Algeria in the 1960s.
“In Marseille, we eat Algerian food, speak the language,” Luca says. “My grandfather taught my father Algerian values, and my father taught them to us. Above all, to respect people, to work hard, that nobody gives you anything for free. Also to be serious, and to be ambitious, which is important.”
The Zidane brothers’ mixed heritage has opened different opportunities at international level. Luca won an Under-17 European Championship with France in 2015, saving three penalties in the semi-final shootout win over Belgium. Enzo won underage international caps for both Spain and France. Theo played an Under-17 Euros for France in 2019. Elyaz made his Spain under-20 debut in September 2025.
“To play a European Championship, and win it, was a lovely experience,” Luca says. “Someone can have two nationalities, or sometimes even three. I’m proud of my countries, and my brothers are too. We have the good fortune to have various cultures.”
As his club career continued mostly in Spain’s second tier, senior international recognition seemed far away. But then came the call from Algeria, and a debut in October’s 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Uganda.
Luca Zidane has now made seven appearances for Algeria (Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images)
National team coach Vladimir Petkovic favoured his shot-stopping ability, as well as his playmaking skills from the back, during January’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Luca’s parents watched from the stands while he set a tournament record of 390 minutes without conceding a goal as Algeria reached the last eight.
“It was a really good tournament, although we’d have liked to go further,” he says. “Putting on the jersey and listening to the anthem, it makes me really emotional — and all my family too.”
After full-time in the bad-tempered 2-0 quarter-final defeat by Nigeria, Zidane was prominently involved in a large-scale melee. He has since received a two-game ban, to be served in Algeria’s qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which begin in September.
“These things happen in football, and they stay on the pitch,” he says, when asked about the brawl. “You don’t have to worry too much about them. Now we have to get ready for the World Cup.”
Zidane’s 2025-26 club season ended when he fractured both his jaw and chin playing for Granada against Almeria in late April. He returned to action on June 3 wearing a protective mask, keeping another clean sheet in Algeria’s impressive 1-0 friendly win against the Netherlands.
That made it 21 wins, four draws and three defeats in 28 games under Petkovic. Could Algeria match or even surpass neighbours Morocco’s achievement of making the World Cup semi-finals at Qatar 2022?
“I’m convinced African sides will have a big role in this World Cup,” Zidane replies. “Algeria have a really good team, very united, with lots of young talents. We will surprise a lot of people.”
Those young talents include 20-year-old Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Ibrahim Maza, while experience comes from Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer, 28, Borussia Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini, 31, and 35-year-old former Manchester City winger Mahrez, who scored eight goals and provided 15 assists for Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli last term.
Zidane’s club future is uncertain, with his Granada contract ending in June 2027. The World Cup — where Algeria also face Jordan and Austria in Group J — is a huge opportunity.
“At the start, people see you more as someone’s son,” he says. “But I’ve always tried to make my own path. I worked hard to improve every day.
“This is a crucial moment for my career, playing a World Cup, to show I can play at the very highest level. I feel ready for that.”
