Zinedine Zidane is one of the most recognisable players of the past two decades – but you may be unsure of what happened to his four sons, who all tried to be professional footballers.
Zidane was arguably one of the best players of his generation, boasting 13 major trophies from his time at Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid.
He also won the ultimate prize in 1998, when he scored twice in France’s 3-0 World Cup final win over Brazil in Paris.
Following his retirement from playing in 2006, he took up the role of Real Madrid Castilla boss (reserve team) in 2014 before progressing to the first-team role at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2016.
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His habit of winning silverware continued when he secured three consecutive Champions League crowns between 2016 and 2018.
He also captured La Liga glory in 2017 and 2020 before leaving the role in 2021. He has been without a club since.
Given his footballing pedigree, it would be wise to assume at least some of his knowledge would have rubbed off onto his four sons, Enzo, Theo, Elyaz and Luca.
The oldest of the four, Enzo, 29, spent a decade in Real Madrid’s academy but made a single appearance for the senior side, scoring on his debut against Cultural Leonesa in a Copa del Rey clash.
He moved to Alaves in 2017 but failed to establish himself.
Spells at Lausanne-Sport, Aves, Almeria, Rodez and Fuenlabrada followed before he prematurely retired in 2023, aged 29.
In 2018, he discussed the burden of being the Real Madrid legend’s son
"I've had it since I was little, and it's always going to be that way,” he told Marca.
“It's not going to change, but I try to remove myself from it and focus on being the best possible Enzo.
"People compare you, criticise you, want more from you, and say you are there because you are somebody's son.
"Others will be criticised for other things, but I try not to think about it.”
The 52-year-old’s second son Luca, 26, also played for Madrid’s youth set-up before progressing to the first team, making his debut in 2018. To the surprise of many, he is a goalkeeper.
Like his brother Enzo, Luca spoke about the difficulties of being the Madrid legend's son.
“Here the media pressure is not like in other teams," he told Relevo in April 2023.
"I needed to get away from the focus. Since I was little, I tried to stay out of all that.
"I’m more exposed than any other player because of the last name I have," he added.
"If it were another player, things wouldn’t come out so much nor would they be talked about. These are things that can hurt you when a team signs you.”
In 2020, he joined the Madrid-based side Rayo Vallecano before finding his feet at Eibar between 2022 and 2024.
In July 2024, he joined Spanish second-tier side Granada.
The Frenchman’s third son Theo, 22, followed the usual family trait of playing for Madrid’s academy but failed to step up to the first team. He played 93 times for Real’s reserve side before signing a two-year deal at the Spanish second-tier side Cordoba in July 2024.
Zidane’s youngest son Elyaz, 18, was at Los Blancos’ academy until January 2024 but left for Real Betis, signing a contract until July 2026.
Topics: Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid, Football
Luke Davies