Zinedine Zidane, who became the world's most expensive footballer when Real Madrid paid Juventus 63.6 million dollars for the playmaker four years ago, turned his back on the French national soccer team after the team were knocked out by Greece in the European Championship in 2004.

Since then France, the 1998 World Cup winners and 2000 European champions, have gone from bad to worse and are lying fourth in their qualifying table for the 2006 World Cup.

"It would be a disaster if we did not qualify," French federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said on Tuesday.

But his prayers were answered on Wednesday when the 33-year-old Zidane announced: "I'm back."

The French press was ecstatic.

"The Saviour," was Paris daily Le Parisien's front page banner headline.

"He's back," trumpeted sports daily l'Equipe who added: "The sacred union is renewed."

"Zizou is back," was France Soir's front page headline.

Communist daily l'Humanite declared Zidane might not like being portrayed as the saviour but there is no getting away from the fact.

"After the 2012 Olympics, failing to qualify for the next World Cup would be a another hammer blow to French sport," the paper said.

Conservative daily Le Figaro was the only one to raise doubts, hinting he might be past his best.

"After having given so much to French football the amazing No 10 chose the right time to go," the paper said ominously.

And it added that if France did fail to qualify for Germany 2006 Zidane's U-turn would only underline how right he was to quit a year ago.

France need to win in Ireland and Switzerland on September 7 and October 8 to be sure of reaching Germany for next year's tournament.

Zidane, a second generation immigrant of Algerian extraction, has won 93 international caps for France, scoring 26 goals including two goals in the 1998 World Cup final win against Brazil.

When the three times FIFA World Player of the Year was injured for the 2002 World Cup France became the first defending champions to be knocked out without scoring a goal.

Midfielder Claude Makalele who plays for English champions Chelsea has also announced he will play for France again and France coach Raymond Domenech was hoping to persuade another 33-year-old, Juventus defender Lillian Thuram, to come out of retirement.

France have only scored five goals in six World Cup qualifying matches and have drawn three of them 0-0.

Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Juventus striker David Trezeguet have been unable to repeat their club form for the national team and the French are praying Zizou can spark them into life.