Zinedine Zidane Returns to France: A Family Split in Football

Zinedine Zidane back with Les Bleus. His son in Algeria’s colours. Two surnames, two shirts, one of the most intriguing family splits in international football.

L’Équipe reports that Zidane will finally take charge of France on September 1, the 1998 World Cup winner handed the job many felt was his destiny. The contract, according to other reports, runs until mid-2030. French football is bracing for the return of “Zizou” to its national bench.

While the father heads home, the son has gone in a very different direction.

Luca Zidane: the other Zidane story

Luca Zidane, 28, walked away from the France setup last September to commit his international future to Algeria. The choice was bold, public, and definitive. He then went straight into the heat of a World Cup as Algeria’s starting goalkeeper, playing through a recent chin and jaw injury that would have kept many out.

No fanfare. No romantic return to the French shirt. Just a new flag, a new anthem, and a new role at the heart of a North African defence.

Forged at Real Madrid

Luca’s path always carried the weight of his surname. He grew up in the academy of Real Madrid, a club that does not hand out debuts lightly, especially not to goalkeepers. In 2018, under the coaching of his father, he stepped onto the pitch for the first team and into La Liga.

He made two league appearances for Real Madrid before moving on in search of minutes and identity away from the shadow of the Bernabéu. Before leaving the club in 2020, he also spent time on loan at Racing de Santander, a crucial spell for a young goalkeeper learning the trade outside the protective bubble of a superclub.

Building a career in Spain’s grind

In 2020, Luca signed a two-year deal with Rayo Vallecano, a club that lives on intensity, noise, and survival instincts. It was a different world from Madrid’s polished glamour, but exactly the kind of environment where a goalkeeper can grow.

From there he moved to SD Eibar, spending two seasons between 2022 and 2024 in Spain’s second tier. No spotlight, no daily headlines, just the relentless rhythm of the Segunda División: long trips, tight pitches, and constant pressure.

That work earned him his current post at Granada CF, another La Liga 2 side, where he continues to carve out a career on his own terms.

One name, two national teams

So as Zinedine Zidane prepares to step into the France dugout, the man who will soon be coaching Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and the next generation of French stars will do so knowing that his own son now stands in goal for Algeria.

One Zidane chasing glory with Les Bleus from the touchline. Another guarding Algeria’s net, far from Paris but very much in the centre of the footballing story.

The family name has never been more visible. It has also never meant quite so many different things.