Despite that famous World Cup head-butt, or perhaps because of it, retired soccer star Zinedine Zidane is France's favorite celebrity.

Zidane ended his 18-year career with an attack on Italian player Marco Materazzi in France's World Cup final match in Germany. But he came out No. 1 in an Ifop poll published in the French weekend newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche on Saturday.

Tennis player and singer Yannick Noah dropped one place to No. 2. Fabien Barthez and Franck Ribery, who played alongside Zidane in the World Cup final, were No. 14 and No. 15 on the list respectively.

The poll appeared to solidify Zidane's status as a national hero, with some people saying his reaction to Materazzi’s taunting made him more human.

Zidane was sent off in the final minutes of France's World Cup final against Italy last month. France lost the match 5-3 in a penalty shootout.

The poll of 987 people was conducted in face-to-face interviews by the Ifop agency between July 10 and 18.

(Shenzhen Daily/Agencies August 14, 2006)