Zinedine Zidane: “My mum kept my Ballon d’Or in its case. No one can touch it.”

In speaking to L’Équipe in a wide-ranging interview to mark his 50th birthday, former France and Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane explained that he doesn’t keep any memorabilia from his career at his house but his mother keeps everything, including his Ballon d’Or which he isn’t allowed to touch. Zidane said:

“My parents keep everything… Nothing is lost with my mum. Twenty or thirty years later, I’m still finding things. It’s impressive – the shirts, the boots that you find in her storage rooms. From Bordeaux to the France team, I’ve already found some pieces that I didn’t even know existed anymore.”

Have you tried to take any of it?

“Absolutely not! My parents put everything in a safe place. My mother also kept my Ballon d’Or, it remained in its case and not even at home, under security. No one can touch it… Sentimentally and symbolically, it’s best with my parents. Being with them, it also stays with me… I have almost nothing at home from my career, two or three objects. I’m not at all materialistic. When I want to see souvenirs, I go to Marseille.”

What did you do with your shirt from the 1998 World Cup final?

“I traded one at halftime with Ronaldo… At the end of the match, I threw the other one into the stands. I threw it because I had a t-shirt underneath. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it, I wouldn’t have finished the lap of honour shirtless. I must have made someone really happy.”

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