43 famous football players whose name starts with Z, from Zidane, Zico and Zlatan to Zoff, Zanetti and Zola, with clubs, positions and honours.
The most famous football player whose name starts with Z is Zinedine Zidane, the 1998 World Cup winner and Ballon d’Or holder. Zlatan Ibrahimović and Zico complete the top three.
Below you will find ten detailed profiles, then two tables: one for players whose first name starts with Z and one for surnames such as Zoff, Zanetti and Zola. A short table by position helps with quizzes and word games.
Most Famous Football Players Whose Name Starts With Z:
- Zinedine Zidane
- Zlatan Ibrahimović
- Zico
- Zvonimir Boban
- Zbigniew Boniek
- Zé Roberto
- Zinho
- Zlatko Zahovič
- Zvonimir Soldo
- Zoltán Czibor
#1 Zinedine Zidane
- 🎂 Birthday: 23 June 1972
- 🌎 Nationality: France
- ⚽ Position: Attacking midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid
- 🏆 Best known for: 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, Ballon d’Or 1998
Zidane scored twice with his head in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil and won the Ballon d’Or the same year. His left-footed volley for Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen is one of the most replayed goals in the competition.
His playing career ended with a red card in the 2006 World Cup final, yet he was still named player of the tournament. As Real Madrid coach he won the Champions League three years in a row from 2016 to 2018.
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimović
- 🎂 Birthday: 3 October 1981
- 🌎 Nationality: Sweden
- ⚽ Position: Striker
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Malmö, Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, Manchester United, LA Galaxy
- 🏆 Best known for: Sweden’s record goalscorer, league titles in four countries
Ibrahimović won league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France and is Sweden’s all-time leading scorer. His overhead kick from 30 metres against England in 2012 won the FIFA Puskás Award.
He kept playing into his forties and helped AC Milan to the Serie A title in 2022 before retiring in 2023.
#3 Zico
- 🎂 Birthday: 3 March 1953
- 🌎 Nationality: Brazil
- ⚽ Position: Attacking midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Flamengo, Udinese, Kashima Antlers
- 🏆 Best known for: Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup 1981
Born Arthur Antunes Coimbra, Zico is Flamengo’s all-time top scorer and led the club to the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup in 1981. He was famous for his free kicks.
He starred in the celebrated Brazil side of the 1982 World Cup. Later he helped build professional football in Japan with Kashima Antlers and coached the Japan national team.
#4 Zvonimir Boban
- 🎂 Birthday: 8 October 1968
- 🌎 Nationality: Croatia
- ⚽ Position: Midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Dinamo Zagreb, AC Milan, Celta Vigo
- 🏆 Best known for: 1994 Champions League, third place at the 1998 World Cup
Boban spent most of his career at AC Milan, where he won the 1994 Champions League and several Serie A titles as an elegant playmaker.
He captained Croatia to third place at the 1998 World Cup, the country’s first World Cup as an independent nation.
#5 Zbigniew Boniek
- 🎂 Birthday: 3 March 1956
- 🌎 Nationality: Poland
- ⚽ Position: Forward
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Widzew Łódź, Juventus, Roma
- 🏆 Best known for: 1985 European Cup with Juventus, third place at the 1982 World Cup
Boniek scored a hat-trick against Belgium at the 1982 World Cup, where Poland finished third. At Juventus he won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1984 and the European Cup in 1985.
After his playing days he became president of the Polish football association.
#6 Zé Roberto
- 🎂 Birthday: 6 July 1974
- 🌎 Nationality: Brazil
- ⚽ Position: Left midfielder, left-back
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Portuguesa, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Hamburg, Grêmio, Palmeiras
- 🏆 Best known for: Copa América 1997, four Bundesliga titles with Bayern
Zé Roberto reached the 2002 Champions League final with Bayer Leverkusen and then won four Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
He was known for his fitness and kept playing at the top level in Brazil until he was 43.
#7 Zinho
- 🎂 Birthday: 17 June 1967
- 🌎 Nationality: Brazil
- ⚽ Position: Midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Flamengo, Palmeiras, Yokohama Flügels, Grêmio
- 🏆 Best known for: 1994 World Cup winner
Zinho was a tireless left-sided midfielder in the Brazil team that won the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
At club level he won the Brazilian league with Flamengo and Palmeiras and the 1999 Copa Libertadores with Palmeiras.
#8 Zlatko Zahovič
- 🎂 Birthday: 1 February 1971
- 🌎 Nationality: Slovenia
- ⚽ Position: Attacking midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Partizan, Vitória Guimarães, Porto, Olympiacos, Valencia, Benfica
- 🏆 Best known for: Slovenia’s long-time record goalscorer
Zahovič scored three goals at Euro 2000, Slovenia’s first major tournament, and retired from international football as Slovenia’s record scorer and most capped player.
He won league titles in Portugal and Greece and played for Valencia in the 2001 Champions League final.
#9 Zvonimir Soldo
- 🎂 Birthday: 2 November 1967
- 🌎 Nationality: Croatia
- ⚽ Position: Defensive midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Dinamo Zagreb, VfB Stuttgart
- 🏆 Best known for: Third place at the 1998 World Cup, Stuttgart captain
Soldo was the defensive anchor of the Croatia side that finished third at the 1998 World Cup.
He spent ten years at VfB Stuttgart, captained the club and later worked as a coach in Germany.
#10 Zoltán Czibor
- 🎂 Birthday: 23 August 1929
- 🌎 Nationality: Hungary
- ⚽ Position: Left winger
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Ferencváros, Honvéd, Barcelona, Espanyol
- 🏆 Best known for: 1952 Olympic gold, scored in the 1954 World Cup final
Czibor was part of the great Hungary team of the 1950s, won Olympic gold in 1952 and scored in the 1954 World Cup final against West Germany.
After the 1956 uprising he moved to Barcelona, won Spanish titles and scored in the 1961 European Cup final.
More Football Players Whose First Name Starts With Z
These players also have a first name or nickname that starts with Z, from World Cup winners of the 1950s and 1960s to players active today.
| Player | Country | Position | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zito | Brazil | Midfielder | World Cup winner 1958 and 1962, scored in the 1962 final |
| Zizinho | Brazil | Inside forward | Star of the 1950 World Cup and Pelé’s boyhood idol |
| Zoltán Gera | Hungary | Midfielder | West Brom and Fulham, 2010 Europa League final |
| Zakaria Bakkali | Belgium | Winger | Hat-trick for PSV as a 17-year-old |
| Zdeněk Grygera | Czech Republic | Right-back | Ajax and Juventus |
| Zat Knight | England | Centre-back | Fulham and Aston Villa, two England caps |
| Zlatko Junuzović | Austria | Midfielder | Werder Bremen and Red Bull Salzburg |
| Zoran Tošić | Serbia | Winger | Manchester United and CSKA Moscow |
| Zesh Rehman | Pakistan | Defender | First British Asian to play in the Premier League |
| Zinho Vanheusden | Belgium | Centre-back | Standard Liège |
| Zeki Amdouni | Switzerland | Forward | Basel and Burnley |
| Zion Suzuki | Japan | Goalkeeper | Urawa Reds and Parma |
| Zeno Debast | Belgium | Centre-back | Anderlecht and Sporting CP |
| Zidane Iqbal | Iraq | Midfielder | Came through the Manchester United academy |
| Zé Luís | Cape Verde | Striker | Spartak Moscow and Porto |
| Zoumana Camara | France | Centre-back | Eight seasons at PSG |
Football Players Whose Last Name Starts With Z
Many of the best-known Z names in football are surnames. Use these if your quiz or game allows the last name.
| Player | Country | Position | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dino Zoff | Italy | Goalkeeper | World Cup winning captain in 1982 at the age of 40 |
| Javier Zanetti | Argentina | Right-back | Inter record appearance holder, 2010 treble captain |
| Gianfranco Zola | Italy | Forward | Chelsea legend, Parma and Napoli |
| Mário Zagallo | Brazil | Left winger | World Cup winner as player in 1958 and 1962 and as coach in 1970 |
| Gianluca Zambrotta | Italy | Full-back | 2006 World Cup winner |
| Iván Zamorano | Chile | Striker | Real Madrid and Inter |
| Pablo Zabaleta | Argentina | Right-back | Two Premier League titles with Manchester City |
| Wilfried Zaha | Ivory Coast | Winger | Crystal Palace favourite |
| Hakim Ziyech | Morocco | Winger | Ajax and Chelsea, 2022 World Cup semi-final |
| Christian Ziege | Germany | Left-back | Euro 96 winner, Bayern Munich and Liverpool |
| Piotr Zieliński | Poland | Midfielder | Napoli and Inter |
| Martín Zubimendi | Spain | Defensive midfielder | 2026 World Cup and Euro 2024 winner, Real Sociedad and Arsenal |
| Joshua Zirkzee | Netherlands | Forward | Bologna and Manchester United |
| Oleksandr Zinchenko | Ukraine | Left-back, midfielder | Manchester City and Arsenal |
| Duván Zapata | Colombia | Striker | Atalanta and Torino |
| Cristián Zapata | Colombia | Centre-back | AC Milan |
| Zheng Zhi | China | Midfielder | Charlton, Celtic and Guangzhou Evergrande |
Z Players by Position
Need one Z name per position? Here is a first name and a surname for each line of the team.
| Position | First name with Z | Last name with Z |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Zion Suzuki | Dino Zoff |
| Defender | Zdeněk Grygera | Javier Zanetti |
| Midfielder | Zinedine Zidane | Martín Zubimendi |
| Forward | Zlatan Ibrahimović | Gianfranco Zola |
Football Players From A to Z
Looking for another letter? A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
FAQ
Who is the most famous football player whose name starts with Z?
Zinedine Zidane. He won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, the Ballon d’Or in 1998 and the Champions League with Real Madrid, both as a player and three times as a coach.
Which Premier League players have names starting with Z?
Zlatan Ibrahimović played for Manchester United. Surnames include Gianfranco Zola, Pablo Zabaleta, Wilfried Zaha, Hakim Ziyech, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Joshua Zirkzee and Martín Zubimendi.
Is there a famous goalkeeper whose name starts with Z?
Dino Zoff is the most famous. He won the 1982 World Cup as Italy’s captain at 40. For a first name, Japan’s Zion Suzuki is a current option.
Which World Cup winners have a name starting with Z?
Zito and Mário Zagallo (Brazil 1958 and 1962), Dino Zoff (Italy 1982), Zinho (Brazil 1994), Zinedine Zidane (France 1998), Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy 2006) and Martín Zubimendi (Spain 2026).
Has a player whose name starts with Z won the Ballon d’Or?
Yes. Zinedine Zidane won it in 1998, the year France won the World Cup on home soil.
Which Brazilian football players start with Z?
Zico, Zito, Zizinho, Zinho and Zé Roberto by first name, and Mário Zagallo by surname.
Which current players have a name starting with Z?
Active players include Martín Zubimendi, Joshua Zirkzee, Piotr Zieliński, Zion Suzuki, Zeno Debast and Zeki Amdouni.
What is a good football player with Z for a quiz or word game?
Zidane is the safest answer for a first name and Zola or Zoff for a surname. Short names such as Zico and Zito are useful when space is tight.
