Few sportsmen are allowed to choose the stage on which they bow out. Zinedine Zidane, the greatest footballer of his generation, picked that privilege for himself: His last match as a professional footballer will be a World Cup final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, a grand venue that has seen great feats from the likes of Jesse Owens and Dhyan Chand.

On Wednesday, in the ultra-modern setting of Munich’s Allianz Arena, Zidane ensured France’s passage to Berlin with a first-half penalty converted with typical cool. The penalty was awarded when Thierry Henry fell to a Carvalho tackle; the storm of protest raged around the penalty area but Zidane, as is his habit, stayed aloof. When the referee gave the signal, he stepped up, two steps in a Warne-like shuffle, and the aim was just as deadly. Hard and low to Ricardo’s right; the goalkeeper never had a chance.

Zidane wheeled around, roaring out his emotions, running a few yards, right arm punching the air; then he gathered himself, relaxed and trotted back to the centre circle.

Mission accomplished.

This was not one of Zidane’s better matches, nor even France’s. The star of the day was Cristiano Ronaldo, who reacted to the boos and whistles directed at him by simply raising his game.

But even in low gear, watching Zidane was like watching a great minimalist at work. His is not the incandescent brilliance of Thierry Henry, the power of Rooney, the flash of Ronaldo, the million tricks of Ronaldinho. His game is all about subtlety; a pass here, a feint there. It is all about half-touches, half-movements, a stop and a start; you wonder why he’s holding back, where’s the killer ball when suddenly the picture unfolds and all is clear. His art is wizardry, his persona that of a latter-day Gandalf, able to see the grand plan long before anyone else.

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