Zinedine Zidane confirmed today he plans to retire when his contract at Real Madrid expires in 2005.
The France midfielder, who will be 33 when he hangs up his boots, was signed by Madrid from Juventus for a world-record fee of stg£46.5million in 2001. He insists there will be no talking him out of the decision.
Zidane, currently in China with Real on their three-week pre-season tour, said: "I have two years left to my contract with Real Madrid and until then I will play as well as possible, whatever the competition.
"After those two years I will retire."
His final matches for France are set to come at next summer's European Championships in Portugal, given that he has ruled himself out of the 2006 World Cup.
Zidane was a member of the France teams which won the World Cup in 1998 and European Championships in 2000 and has 82 caps for his country.
PA