His name is Zidane. An Arabic first name, carried in a Mancunian family whose father comes from Sahiwal in Pakistani Punjab and mother from Samawah, in southern Iraq.
Not a tribute to Zizou, contrary to what one might think: the name Zidane, also spelt Zidan, is quite common in the Arab world.
And Zidane Iqbal has never made the connection between himself and the French football legend. But it is with this name, so symbolic for the French, that the 23-year-old is about to take on Les Bleus this Monday.
A quirky twist of fate for someone who is also a midfielder, with a similar playing style.
Maicon, his first World Cup memory
Zidane Iqbal's first World Cup memory is a goal... by Maicon. He was coming home from school with his father, who had paused the Brazil v North Korea match.
"We got home, put the match back on and I saw the goal," he told The Athletic. That sliced shot from an almost impossible angle, squeezed between the keeper's left hand and the post, in South Africa in 2010, left a mark on young Zidane, who was seven at the time.
"Now I'm living a dream I had when I was seven or eight. I hope there will be kids, whether they're Asian, Arab, whatever, who watch this and think they can do it. Because it's possible. If I did it, why not them?" he told the same outlet.
At nine years old, Iqbal joined the Manchester United academy. He would leave fifteen years later, after climbing every rung of the ladder.
"One minute, I was playing there with my friends. The next, I was getting ready for a Champions League match in a hotel two minutes' walk away," he told The Athletic.
Making history
On December 8th, 2021, under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, Iqbal came on in the 89th minute against Young Boys in the final group stage match of the Champions League.
He became the first British player of South Asian descent to play for Manchester United, and the first from this community to set foot on a Champions League pitch.
Iqbal replaced Jesse Lingard, whose number 14 shirt he kept and framed at home. That 14 would become his number for the Iraqi national team.
The next summer, in a pre-season match against Liverpool, Erik ten Hag brought him onto the pitch when United were 3-0 up. His composure on the ball, positional sense and passing quality made a strong impression.
Ten Hag blocks him, Utrecht revives him
Things took a downturn for the new darling of United fans after Iqbal featured seventeen times on the bench without playing a single minute under Erik ten Hag.
"I just wanted to play ten minutes to show what I could do and it really frustrated me that the coach didn't trust me enough," he told The National.
He recalled being promised a start in the League Cup against Charlton, tickets reserved for his family, then seeing his name missing from the whiteboard in the dressing room: "I thought: I'm just a number."
In 2023, he joined Utrecht for one million euros on a four-year contract, inspired by the examples of Jadon Sancho and Paul Pogba, who had dared to leave Manchester to revive their careers abroad.
"I'd done everything that was asked of me and I didn't get my chance. I needed to leave," he summed up to The National.
In the Eredivisie, the midfielder found game time again and has played 47 matches in all competitions since his arrival, even though a knee operation in April 2025 somewhat slowed his progress.
Three flags, one identity
Beyond his club career, Iqbal also had to make a choice at international level. His mother Ayat left Iraq at the age of one to escape the war. His father Aamar, born in Sahiwal, Punjab, arrived in Manchester at seven, a cricket fan.
"My dad comes with the Iraq shirt, my name and number on the back. And when we score, he shouts as loud as anyone," he told The Athletic with a smile.
Eligible to represent England, Iraq and Pakistan, Iqbal chose the Lions of Mesopotamia in 2021. A major Instagram page following Iraqis around the world had contacted him to check the rumours about his origins.
The Iraqi FA followed up with a series of video calls with him and his parents. "When someone shows you that much love, there's only one thing to do: feel it. It was simply the right decision for me."
But for the 250 million Pakistanis watching the tournament, his appearance against Norway on 16th June in Foxborough had a special meaning: he is the first player of Pakistani descent to play in a men's World Cup.
A Zidane against France
Iraq had one of the longest qualification campaigns in football history: 21 matches to secure the 48th and final spot in the tournament, including a penalty in the 107th minute against the United Arab Emirates to reach the intercontinental play-offs.
Along the way, Iqbal scored the winning goal against Indonesia after coming off the bench, prompting his mother's cheers in the stands, which he could pick out from the crowd noise.
"This generation of Iraqis has been through such hard times with wars and all the hardships. I believe football is their freedom, their joy," he told The Athletic.
This Monday night in Philadelphia, he will face France, the group favourites. He isn't fazed.
"France have everything to lose against us. We're going in with no pressure. They're the ones who have to beat us. I think we're going to surprise a few people," said Iqbal. A coincidence that fate, it seems, had planned long ago.
World Cup 2026
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 48 national teams and will be played in 16 modern stadiums.
Match schedule and times | Group tables | England at the World Cup | Scotland at the World Cup | Team rosters at the World Cup | How to watch the World Cup | Predictions and odds | Which teams could be considered dark horses?