Why does Luca Zidane play for Algeria? Son of French great Zinedine Zidane is starting goalie for African side

Why does Luca Zidane play for Algeria? Son of French great Zinedine Zidane is starting goalie for African side originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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While many remember Zinedine Zidane as one of France’s most notable players, his son, Luca, is the goalkeeper for Algeria at the 2026 World Cup.

Many viewers were quick to pick up on the Zidane name on the back of the goalkeeper’s kit, and the broadcast has brought up the former Real Madrid manager’s fatherhood to the Algerian goalie. How come Luca is able to play for Algeria despite his father playing for France’s national team for his whole career?

Here’s why Zinedine Zidane’s son is guarding the net for Algeria at the 2026 World Cup.

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Why does Luca Zidane play for Algeria?

Zidane plays for Algeria due to his father’s parents being born in Algeria. The goalkeeper was born in France and lived in Spain for the majority of his life, due to his father’s career at Real Madrid beginning in 2001 and his position as Real Madrid’s manager during the 2010s.

“We’ve lived in an Algerian culture since we were small,” Zidane said, according to The Athletic. “It’s an honor 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, who is 28 years old, made his international debut for Algeria in October. A few months later, he suited up for the Africa Cup of Nations, where Algeria lost in the quarter-finals against Nigeria on January 10.

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

Why does Luca Zidane wear a face mask

Zidane wears a face mask after picking up an injury while playing for Granada in late April. While playing for Spanish club Granada back in late April, he collided with Thalys, a player on Almeria.

Zidane came away from the encounter with a fractured jaw, chin, and a severe concussion that put him in jeopardy of missing the 2026 World Cup. However, he has since recovered and made Algeria’s starting lineup for their opening match against Argentina.

Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French legend Zinedine, has made his World Cup debut 🇩🇿

A fractured jaw in April necessitated the mask he’s wearing on the pitch, but failed to keep him out of the tournament 👏 pic.twitter.com/Y6jpBnUuXM

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 17, 2026

While he did represent France on their U17 team, Zidane ultimately chose to represent Algeria in 2025.

Who is Zinedine Zidane?

Luca’s father, Zinedine, was a very well-known soccer player who was on the “Galacticos” Real Madrid squad, a team of players built by president Florentino Perez who all had expensive price tags and were generally renowned for their attacking prowess.

In 2001, Zidane was sold to Real Madrid for €73.5 million ($85,361,430 today), which was the most expensive transfer in soccer history at the time. Zidane’s impact in Madrid was immediate, and he even scored the winning goal, a stunning volley goal just inside the box, at the 2001-02 Champions League Final.

Here is a video of that goal:

While Zidane was a phenomenal player, his career is often highlighted by a career low point. During the 2006 World Cup Final against Italy, his last soccer game as a professional player, Zidane made worldwide headlines for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi. He earned a red card for the notorious deed, and his career was ended with a famous walk past the golden World Cup trophy that would go untouched by French players that year.

Here is a look at the play that sealed his career:

Which club does Luca Zidane play for?

Regarding soccer on the club side of the sport, Zidane plays for Granada in La Liga. He joined the Spanish side in July 2024, according to FotMob, and has bounced around various clubs in Spain.

In July 2016, he began his La Liga career in Real Madrid’s youth system and Real Madrid Castilla, also known as Real Madrid B. He then went on loan to Racing Santander in July 2019 before moving to Rayo Vallecano in October 2020, where he played for two years.

He was briefly a free agent for a couple of months before signing with Eibar in September 2022 on a free transfer. Two years later, he made his way to Granada, where he plays today.

How old is Luca Zidane

Zidane turned 28 years old roughly a month before stepping onto the pitch for the first time at the 2026 World Cup. He was born on May 13, 1998, in Aix-en-Provence, France.

He made his debut with Real Madrid at the end of the 2017-18 season.