Zinedine Zidane is spending his 54th birthday exactly where he wants to be — at the World Cup, watching his son play in it. That's the kind of birthday most people can't even dream up.
Luca Zidane, 28, is Algeria's goalkeeper at this tournament. His father, five years removed from his last job at Real Madrid and largely absent from the football conversation since, has crossed the Atlantic with his family to follow both France and the Desert Foxes. Two teams. Two sets of nerves every matchday.
Algeria's run is the more compelling storyline
France, led by Mbappé, were expected to be here. They opened with a 3-1 win over Senegal and face Iraq next in Philadelphia — a win puts them through. That's business as usual for Les Bleus.
Algeria is the more interesting watch. After losing their opener to Argentina, they beat Jordan 2-1 in what the article rightly calls a historic result — Jordan being the kind of side nobody expected North Africa's qualifiers to struggle against. Luca kept that clean sheet when it mattered. For a keeper who's been playing club football at Granada in Spain's second tier, this World Cup run is the biggest stage of his career by a distance.
All four Zidane sons went into football. Enzo, the eldest at 31, has already retired to focus on business and family — he has three daughters with Venezuelan model Karen Gonçalves. Theo, 24, is a midfielder at Córdoba CF. The youngest, Elyaz, 20, is at Real Betis' reserve side. A full squad's worth of Zidanes, and the father is now watching the one who made it to the World Cup.
The France job is the real subplot here
Didier Deschamps is stepping down after this tournament. He's said so himself. And according to ESPN, L'Équipe, and several French outlets, Zidane has already reached a verbal agreement with the French Football Federation to take over once France's campaign ends.
No official announcement. No press conference. Just the worst-kept secret in world football quietly playing out while he watches Algeria games in the stands.
If France go deep — and their squad makes them genuine contenders — Zidane could be walking into the job off the back of a title. If they don't, he inherits a rebuild. Either way, France's next managerial odds are already written. Zidane is the answer, and everyone knows it.
His wife Véronique, whose parents are both from Almería, Spain, has been at his side since he was 17 years old. "If fame had ever gone to his head, I would have left a long time ago," she once said. "As long as I'm here, there's no risk of that happening."
Thirty-seven years later, they're at the World Cup together watching their son play in goal for Algeria. Not a bad way to turn 54.
