At the Vélodrome, Sunday, December 7, 2025, Zinédine Zidane played again in Marseille for The Universe League, in front of a packed stadium. Presented by Doigby, he scored and rekindled the collective memory. The event, mixing Kings League, matches of legends, and concerts, reactivates his connection to the city. Moreover, it revives, by 2026, the possibility of Zidane as the coach of the French team.
At the Vélodrome, the return of an idol in 2025
On a winter evening, 12/07/2025, the Orange Vélodrome lights up as if for a final. The stands vibrate, phones twinkle, speakers roar. Zinédine Zidane, the tutelary hero of the Marseille corridors, returns to the field on which he hadn’t played since 2007. Introduced to the public by influencer speaker Doigby, the former captain of the Blues is welcomed like a rock star. Marseille, the mother city, finds its most famous child.
The story of an evening-show
Named The Universe League, the program mixes alternative competition and gala. A Kings League France poster kicks off the party, followed by two exhibition matches between celebrities and former stars (OM/PSG, Real/Barça/Juventus), then concerts led by the Marseille rap scene. The show culminates during a legends match Phocéa Universe against King Capital: Zidane scores, with precise moves, silky control, and intact vision. An undeniable score: 10-1. Applause is not just for a goal, but for a style that hasn’t aged.
Marseille, the matrix of a myth
In the stands, emotion rises from the northern districts. The figure of the champion "born two stations from here" haunts memories. La Castellane is not mentioned, it is understood. Former OM players, past or present internationals, comedians, and influencers mingle with the public. Many speak of a "childhood idol" and a world icon. Indeed, his trajectory remains a lever of hope for young Marseillais. The last appearance in 2007 hovers like a landmark date: the return in 2025 closes one loop and opens another.
The discreet conductor of his legend
Behind this evening, one can guess a well-crafted mechanism. Ryad Zidane, the champion’s nephew, coordinates the event with the Kings League teams. Former FC Barcelona defender Gérard Piqué brings his showrunner expertise: the hybrid format, a football set for the streaming era, seeks to establish itself in France with a season 2 announced in 2026 and the prospect of a World Cup in Brazil. Zidane’s entrance, the scenography, and the alternation of matches and concerts contribute to a dramaturgy. Thus, the ball serves a narrative, and this narrative promotes a lasting establishment.
Ambassador, entrepreneur, mentor
While the wait for a return to the bench lengthens, Zidane maintains his public presence. Ambassador of EA Sports FC at Z5, his five-a-side football complex, figure of the Alpine stable in Formula 1, face of Renault’s sports division around the electric Alpine A290, image partner of the Palace Merano: the record has found its extensions. The man lives in Madrid, but his schedule passes through paddocks, studios, and training centers. He embodies in turn the benevolent mentor and the symbol of discreet luxury. Moreover, he is the ambassador of a French industry focused on innovation.
The Blues in sight
Regularly, Zidane repeats that leading the French team remains "one of [his] goals." The French Football Federation has determined the duration of Didier Deschamps‘s mandate until the 2026 World Cup. Beyond that, everything remains open. In newsrooms and among supporters, Zidane is described as the natural favorite for succession. Essential clarification: no official appointment exists to date. The person concerned, meanwhile, stays on the crest line: expressing the desire, without skipping steps, for Zidane, coaching the French team remains a priority goal.
A gallery of witnesses, from the locker room to the boxes
On the field, former teammates and opponents recount the same joyful amazement: oriented control, pass "in the right direction," whipped shot. In the corridors, Kevin Gameiro, Blaise Matuidi, Robert Pirès, Didier Drogba, Adil Rami, Éric Di Meco cross paths with Franck Kessié, Samuel Umtiti, Mamadou Niang. Each shares their memory or confession: playing with Zidane is like becoming a kid again. In the boxes, Redouane Bougheraba and other Marseille artists savor a communion rarely seen for an event outside the official calendar.
What this night says about football-spectacle
The Universe League tells the transformation of a sport into a stage. The adjusted rules of the Kings League, the figures of streamers, and the presence of legends compose a new media grammar. The Vélodrome, a traditional temple, becomes a set. Marseille lends itself to it: a city of fervor, stories, and accents. By bringing Zidane to the center, the organization combines memory and audience, myth and broad appeal. It can be seen as an attempt: capturing youth at the time of short formats. However, this is done without denying the historical depth embodied by a player of 53 years (born in 1972) and crowned in 1998.
A silhouette, details
The public did not just salute a name. They recognized a manner: vertical posture, circular gaze, economy of gestures. At the moment of the goal, the partners smile like fans on the edge of the field. The leather cracks, the crowd rises, the camera shakes. A brief moment, memory overlays the image editor and yesterday’s finals. Zidane is no longer a coach in waiting, nor an advertising icon: he becomes again a creative midfielder. A few minutes are enough to remind why this figure unites beyond club divides.
Chronological landmarks
- 2007: last match of Zidane at the Vélodrome before the 2025 event (charitable).
- 06/2023: EA Sports FC partnership at Z5.
- 2023: Alpine F1 ambassador role officialized around the A523.
- 02/23/2025: highlight of the Alpine A290.
- 04/17/2025: Palace Merano partnership announced.
- Autumn 2025: new statements from Zidane on his desire to coach the Blues.
- 12/07/2025: Universe League at the Vélodrome.
- After 2026: probable window for succession at the head of the Blues.
Marseille, yesterday and tomorrow
The return of Zidane gives Marseille a common narrative. Old and young alike share the same image: that of a kid who grew up in the shadow of the blocks and whose ball rewove the city. The Orange Vélodrome became a stage, but it was the entire city that vibrated. The Kings League wants to establish itself permanently in France, Marseille offers the ideal trailer. And for Zidane, the night serves as a milestone: it reminds where he comes from and where he is going.
And now?
Heading towards 2026: the Kings League announces its rise, with the Brazilian perspective and a French season to stabilize. On the selection side, Didier Deschamps will lead the Blues until the 2026 World Cup; after which the question of the future will officially arise. Zidane remains anticipated, but nothing is written without a federal decision. Meanwhile, the Zidane brand continues its trajectory between field, industry, and transmission and Marseille retains the banner of an intact emotion.
The myth in motion
This evening at the Vélodrome offered much more than a memory. It condensed a moment of current events (Universe League 2025), a horizon (the post-2026 with the Blues), and a silhouette: that of a champion turned cultural figure. If the era loves quick formats, the myth, however, takes its time. Zizou remains in motion between myth and future and Marseille, once again, held the thread.