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It's hard to find too many World Cup final performances better than Zinedine Zidane's against Brazil in 1998. France had never before won the World Cup but, on home soil in Paris, and with Brazilian superstar Ronaldo out of sorts, they had the ideal opportunity to end their wait for the grandest prize in the game. To this point, Zidane had endured a mixed tournament. His technical class and sophistication in possession were evident during the group stages, but he was sidelined after being sent off in France's second match for stamping on Fuad Anwar. It was an early glimpse of the dark side of Zizou, whose contributions at the 2006 World Cup would be overshadowed by his dismissal in the final following a headbutt on Marco Materazzi. He remains one of only two players to have been sent off in two separate World Cup tournaments. After returning to the side - in time for the quarterfinal penalty shootout victory over Italy - he steadily began to assert his creative authority on the side, although it's worth noting that he didn't find the net in the tournament until his outstanding double in the final. It was a contest that France, riding a wave of patriotic fervour, dominated from the off. Zidane scored two similar goals - both emphatic headers from corners - within the space of the last 20 minutes at the end of the first half. His goals ensured France took command of the clash, and Emmanuel Petit added a third in stoppage-time to kill the contest and guarantee Les Bleus' first and only World Cup trophy.  The day belonged to Zidane, whoever, who became a national hero overnight, and would go on to win the European Championships with France two years later. It wasn't the last time that Zizou's genius would settle a major final, with the playmaker winning the 2002 Champions League final with a magnificent left-footed volley that ensured his status as a big-game player.
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