Now he risks being remembered for the humiliation he felt in being substituted in what could be his final match for Les Bleus.

The double goalscoring hero from the 1998 final will celebrate his 34th birthday on the sidelines when France try to rescue their hopes against Togo on Friday, after picking up his second booking in the 1-1 draw with South Korea.

Whether he will be sitting near to coach Raymond Domenech is another matter given his reaction when he was surprisingly replaced in the 91st minute by David Trezeguet, who was also handed the captain's armband.

The former Juventus and Real Madrid 'galactico' strode behind Domenech and then uncharacteristically flung his sweatband towards the dugout.

Typically he made no reference to it afterwards preferring to keep his own counsel, but he is not the first high profile player to suffer such a humiliation.

English darling Gary Lineker had already said that the Euro '92 finals would be his final farewell after outstanding performances at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups - scoring 10 goals in total - but even he wasn't immune from suffering the cruellest of blows.

Then 32, Lineker like the rest of the England team had failed to score in their opening two matches (0-0 draws with Denmark and France) but to everyone's amazement coach Graham Taylor removed him with half-an-hour remaining and with the final group match against Sweden delicately balanced at 1-1.

Lineker, who was just one goal away from equalling Bobby Charlton's record of 49 international goals, looked astonished.

The team's morale dropped and they went out losing 2-1 to the Swedes.

"Graham Taylor terminated this deadliest of striker's superb England career with rude and humiliating abruptness," complained one reporter.

Taylor's career at the England helm came to an end soon after.

He was axed when he failed to get England to the 1994 World Cup finals.

"It was nothing personal," said Taylor in reference to the Lineker episode.

"If it had been, I would have left him on so he could have suffered like everyone else."

Luis Figo can sympathise with Zidane and Lineker.

As Portuguese captain, he was replaced during the Euro 2004 quarter-final against England and stamped off ignoring coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"I have nothing to prove, the people know me well," said Figo who bounced back when he was named man of the match in the semi-final victory over The Netherlands.

Sometimes, a big name substitution pays dividends as Egypt's golden boy Mido discovered at the African Nations Cup earlier this year.

The Spurs striker was out of sorts in the semi-final clash with Senegal and eventually coach Hassan Shehata had had enough.

Mido was furious at being taken off.

The 22-year-old and Shehata had to be separated as they ranted and raved at one another.

"Why are you taking me off?" asked a furious Mido.

"Because I am the coach," replied Shehata.

"You are nothing but a donkey!" stormed Mido.

"No, it is you who is the donkey," replied Shehata.

Shehata's judgement was proved spot on as substitute Amr Zaki headed the winner a minute later.

Mido's humiliation was complete when he had to sit in the stands for the final and received a six month ban.