The words “what if” is one of the most used and contemplated in the English language. People just love to imagine, to visualise, to dream scenarios that couldn’t find its place in real life. One such scenario, which might have happened in an alternate universe, is Zinedine Zidane choosing to play for Algeria instead of France.
The legendary midfielder was one of the finest players of his time and would certainly have changed the course of the history of Algeria had he decided to play for them. Such is his aura that whatever he touches, turns to gold—and it would not have been any different with the African nation either.
Keeping all this in mind, here are 5 things that could have happened had Zinedine Zidane played for Algeria.
#5 No World Cup glory
Zinedine Zidane is a man who has won everything that a footballer could dream of. Be it with the national team or at club level, silverware followed the mercurial midfielder everywhere he went. However, had he chosen to play for Algeria, the most prestigious trophy might have eluded him.
He might have won the African Cup of Nations with Algeria, but the World Cup is a whole different ball game. With France, he had a good squad with some great players playing around him. At Algeria, however, he would not have had the same kind of quality and, as a result, would have struggled to win the World Cup.
Despite that, his ability to get the best out of his team-mates would have take his team to another level.
#4 Algeria might have qualified for more World Cups
The Africans might have qualified for the last two World Cups, but before that, they could only make it to two World Cups - 1982 and 1986 - since their independence. In the years Zidane played in the World Cup, Algeria couldn’t qualify.
Now, football might be a game won by team effort, but there are some players who have the ability to bring the best out of their team-mates on the pitch.
Zinedine Zidane was one such player. His graceful passing and the ability to architect plays made him one of the finest midfielders the game has ever had. As such, it wouldn’t be surprising to think that Zidane’s influence would have galvanised his peers against the rest of the African nations in the qualifiers.
#3 Rise of next generation stars
It is only natural that the best players inspire a generation of youngsters to emulate them. When Zidane was an active player, he motivated millions of kids around the world to follow in his footsteps. The likes of Mesut Ozil and Isco always mention the Frenchman as their point of reference while growing up.
Zidane retired in 2006. About a decade later, France have assembled the most talented group of players in their history. There is so much talent in the French pool that one could carve out four different competitive teams from it.
This is no coincidence, it just happens. People always want to follow their dreams and if the king of their dreams is a wizard in the mould of a footballer like Zidane, then it is only a natural stimuli to see such an upsurge in quality.
And it would have been no different with Algeria. As it is, there has been a rise in Algeria’s standard of football with the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Nabil Bentaleb, Islam Slimani and Sofiane Feghouli becoming the faces of the team.
Even without representing them on the pitch, he has inspired so many Algerians to reach for the stars. So just imagine what could have been had the former Juventus maestro actually represented them on the pitch.
#2 Only African to win Ballon d’Or after Weah
Regardless of the country he played for, Zinedine Zidane would have definitely won the Ballon d’Or for his outstanding quality on the pitch. While it is true that his performances in France’s World Cup winning 1998 campaign shot him towards the award, which he won by a margin of an astonishing 186 points, it would have been almost impossible to overlook a player of his calibre just because of his failure to win a World Cup.
There is always a merit of playing for a non-superpower team. While trophies on an international front is important, his club accolades would have shot him to such glory.
The Ballon d’Or has eluded itself from the African players as the only African to ever have won it was George Weah in 1995. Had Zidane represented the African nation, he would have been the last African player to win the award.
#1 First and only African manager to win the Champions League and the domestic League
While there have been a lot of world class African players in the history of football, successful African managers are as rare as good pop songs being released in our time. The Eto’os and the Drogbas were some of the finest players of their generation, but it doesn’t seem like they will try their luck in management.
Zinedine Zidane’s managerial spell has been nothing less than a fairy-tale. In his one-and-a-half-years of management, he has won the Champions League twice and the league title once along with the Club World Cup, European Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup.
This would not only have made him the most successful Africa manager of all time, but the only African manager to win these accolades, carving his name in the books of seemingly unbreakable football records.
