When Somebody Does

WHEN SOMEBODY DOES something intelligent, people often say, “Now that’s using your head.” In the 1998 World Cup, Zinedine Zidane used his head in a smart way to bring France soccer’s ultimate prize.

The French National Team hosted four-time champion Brazil at the Stade de France. More than 80,000 partisans, many with their faces painted the blue, white, and red of the French flag, filled the stadium to cheer for their native country.

Like most World Cup matches, the game began as a defensive struggle. In the 27th minute, Brazil’s Roberto Carlos let the ball slip over the end line, setting up a French corner kick. Midfielder Emmanuel Petit left-footed the ball toward the Brazilian goal. Zidane, a 6-foot-1-inch midfielder better known for his passing than his jumping, outleaped Brazil’s Leonardo and headed the ball past Taffarel, the Brazilian goalie, for the game’s first score.

A similar situation occurred early in the second half. Youri Djorkaeff’s corner kick attracted Zidane’s head like a magnet, and the Algerian went airborne, powering the ball into the net. In the game’s latter stages, Petit added another goal, and France shut out Brazil 3–0 to earn its first World Cup crown.

At the contest’s conclusion, the crowd reverberated with shouts of Zidane’s nickname, “Zizou! Zizou!” The following day, more than 600,000 French fans lined the Champs Élysées for the biggest celebration since France’s liberation from the Nazis in 1944.

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POINT All of France took pride in the win and how Zinedine Zidane used his head. In the victory, he demonstrated two kinds of head power. Not only did Zizou use his skull to batter the ball into the net, he also used his brain to determine when and where to send it.

God wants us to use our head to make wise decisions in life. He created our brain so that we can learn, think, reason, and determine the right way to follow him.

GOAL! Our brain may look like a three-pound mushroom, but it keeps us alive and holds all the information for who we are. You can learn more about your brain by looking in an encyclopedia or on the Internet. Ask God to help you use all of your brainpower and give you an understanding mind.