Zinedine Zidane in a suit and Veronique Zidane in a sparkly silver jacket© Chris Jackson

Polka-dot-clad Zinedine Zidane, 22, grins with radiant bride Veronique in resurfaced wedding photos

The former Real Madrid manager married dancer Veronique Fernandez in 1994

Deputy Lifestyle Editor
January 18, 2024

Zinedine Zidane married his childhood sweetheart Veronique Fernandez in 1994, five years after they first met.

The former Real Madrid manager, 51, has sweetly opened up about his enduring love for his wife on numerous occasions, but photos of their wedding day remain few and far between. One resurfaced picture reveals the couple, aged just 22 and 23, shyly smiling during their wedding ceremony at Bordeaux town hall as the footballer slipped a wedding band on his bride's finger.

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Aside from the grand chandelier and intricately carved walls in the background, we couldn't tear our eyes away from the groom's bold outfit choice. Ditching a traditional black suit, Zidane jazzed up his ensemble with a polka dot tie and a matching pocket square, sweeping his dark hair away from his face.

His bride looked stunning in a puff-sleeve wedding dress with a drop waist and a princess skirt with a giant bow at the back, which she paired with silk gloves, a pearl necklace and a white floral hair accessory pinned into her updo.

Zidane met his wife in 1989 while living in the same youth accommodation, where the footballer was with the Cannes training centre and the dancer was taking classes at the Rosella Hightower school. However, their love story had a slow start as they reportedly crossed paths many times before plucking up the courage to talk to one another.

Zidane gushed that he fell for his wife very quickly during an interview at the Valdebebas after retiring from his football career following the 2006 World Cup: "When I met her, I would have thrown myself from the top of a building for her to love me."

Zinedine Zidane in a blue suit and his wife Veronique in a white dress© Frederic SOULOY
The couple got married in 1994 and share four sons

Veronique has similarly looked back fondly on their relationship, which she described as a fairytale: "It [meeting Zidane for the first time] was a crush, like a fairy tale, but it was also and from the I start an honest relationship, a normal relationship. I married him, he is and will be forever the man of my life."

They are now parents to four sons, all of whom have inherited their father's passion for football. Enzo plays for FC Lausanne-Sport, Luca plays in goal for Real Madrid, Theo is a midfielder in Cadete A, and Elyaz plays in Infantil B for Real Madrid Academy.

Their eldest son recently celebrated his own wedding in Karen Goncalves in Marrakech on 3 December 2022. They chose very different outfits from Enzo's parents, with the groom rocking a tux and bow tie while his wife looked radiant in an embellished V-neck gown with a fur shawl draped over her shoulders.

On Valentine's Day, Enzo shared a sweet message for Karen alongside new wedding photos: "How lucky is mine to have you by my side for this adventure that is life, I love you forever KG."

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