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Zinedine Zidane and the adidas Predator
Some players wear boots. Zidane made them look like they were part of him. For a decade, through the biggest matches of his career, those boots were Predators — and his relationship with adidas has now lasted thirty years.
1996: The First Pair
Zidane’s first Predator was the Predator Touch in 1996, the model that brought the iconic red tongue to the line. He was at Bordeaux and about to move to Juventus. Within two years he would be the best player in the world.
1998: The Accelerator and the World Cup
At the 1998 World Cup, on home soil, Zidane wore the Predator Accelerator. In the final against Brazil at the Stade de France, he scored twice, both headers, and France won 3-0 to lift their first World Cup.
He was named World Player of the Year. adidas has since remade his golden Accelerators as a limited edition.
2000: The Precision and Euro 2000
Two years later, Zidane wore the Predator Precision as France won Euro 2000, and he was named World Player of the Year again. In 2025 adidas re-released a Precision in his honour, with “World Player 2000” printed on the insole.
2002: The Mania and the Volley
Then came Hampden Park. On 15 May 2002, in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen, Roberto Carlos looped a ball high into the Glasgow sky. Zidane met it on the full with his left foot and volleyed it into the top corner. It won Real Madrid their ninth European Cup, and it is still regarded as the greatest goal ever scored in a Champions League final.
On his feet: the black, white and red Predator Mania. Twenty years later, adidas re-released that exact boot, limited to 2,002 pairs. Read the full story of Zidane’s volley.
2006: The Absolute and the Last Match
Zidane’s final match was the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin, against Italy. For it, he wore a white and gold Predator Absolute.
He opened the scoring with a chipped penalty, then was sent off in extra time. France lost on penalties. It was a dramatic, divisive end to one of the greatest careers the game has seen — and he played it, as he had played so much of it, in Predators.
2026: Thirty Years with adidas
In 2026, adidas marked thirty years of its partnership with Zidane with a special edition Predator. Its fold-over tongue carries his logo in gold, a nod to the Hampden volley, and its tongue straps name the cities and clubs that shaped him. See the current Zidane editions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What boots did Zidane wear?
Zidane wore adidas Predators through most of his career, including the Touch, Accelerator, Precision, Mania and Absolute.
What boots did Zidane wear in the 2002 Champions League final?
The adidas Predator Mania in black, white and red.
What boots did Zidane wear in the 1998 World Cup?
The adidas Predator Accelerator.
What boots did Zidane wear in the 2006 World Cup final?
A white and gold adidas Predator Absolute.
Related: Zidane’s volley, 2002 · The Predator Mania · Predator signature editions · All Predator Icons