BEIJING, April 27-- French midfielder Zinedine Zidane will retire after the World Cup in Germany.

    Zidane helped France win the 1998 World Cup on home soil and the 2000 European Championship. Zidane, who plays for Real Madrid, was FIFA's World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003.

    ¡°I am stopping for good and I am stopping everything,¡± Zidane told Canal Plus television Tuesday. ¡°Most of all, I think it's my body. I told myself that I can't do another year.¡±

    Zidane, who had one year left on his contract with Madrid, will turn 34 during the June 9-July 9 World Cup.

    Zidane led Madrid to the 2002 Champions League title, but noted that the star-studded team hasn't won a trophy in the past two years.

    ¡°I don't want to start a third year knowing that I won't be able to do better than I've done in the past,¡± Zidane said. ¡°I'm getting to an age where it is getting harder and harder.¡±

    Zidane wants to focus on the World Cup, which he called his ¡°last objective.¡± He also said he wanted to give Madrid time to find a replacement.

    Nicknamed ¡°Zizou,¡± he retired from the French team after it lost to Greece in the quarterfinals of the 2004 European Championship. But along with Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram, Zidane returned to help France qualify for the 2006 World Cup.

    Zidane, who has 26 goals in 92 games for France, also played for Juventus, Bordeaux and Cannes.

    (Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)