Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele are coming out of international retirement to help France qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
"I have decided to come back for Les Bleus," Zidane said on Wednesday on his official Web site, www.zidane.fr.
The 33-year-old Real Madrid midfielder, a brilliant playmaker who helped France win the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship titles, retired from international soccer after last summer's European Championship in Portugal
Zidane -- FIFA's world player of the year in 1998, 2000 and 2003 -- will start his comeback in an Aug. 17 friendly against Ivory Coast and is available for crucial World Cup qualifiers beginning in September. Zidane has won 93 caps and scored 26 goals for France.
"The French team has given me so much and I want to help it. I told myself I did not have much time left in soccer, and I want to profit from it to the maximum," Zidane said.
Makelele, a 32-year-old central midfielder with Chelsea, also announced his return to the national side. A former teammate of Zidane at Madrid, Makelele also had retired from international play after France was eliminated in the quarterfinals at the 2004 Euros. He was a key figure in Chelsea's run to the Premier League title last season.
"I am very satisfied that the French team can once again count on Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele ... very talented players who play at the highest level for their clubs," France coach Raymond Domenech said.
France has four qualifying matches remaining as it bid to reach next year's World Cup, beginning with a home fixture against the Faeroe Islands in Lens on Sept. 3 and two tough away games to Ireland and Switzerland.
France is struggling in its qualifying group. It has only 10 points from six matches and is in fourth place, three points behind group leader Ireland.
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