AGEING MAESTRO ZINEDINE Zidane appeared destined for an ignominious end to his illustrious career when he was banned for France's make-or-break clash with Togo in their final group game.

Nearly three weeks later, he has the rare chance to lead "les Bleus" to their second world championship in eight years after coolly scoring the decisive penalty on Wed-nesday that eliminated Portugal in the semi-finals.

Yesterday, FIFA announced that the 34-year-old, known affectionately in France as 'Zizou', had been short-listed for the prestigious Golden Ball award that goes to the most valuable player of the tournament.

It is a fairytale reversal of fortunes for a man and a team that the football world had counted out as too old and too slow after lacklustre draws against Switzerland and South Korea to start the World Cup.

As if by magic, France suddenly came alive after those matches, beating Togo with its three-time World Footballer of the Year sitting on the bench, and then relying on his classy dribbling and passing to beat Spain, Brazil and Portugal in quick succession.

Around half a million people took to the streets of Paris after Wednesday's win over Portugal, chanting, dancing and setting off fireworks in a celebration that echoed the mass party in 1998 that followed France's World Cup win over Brazil.

In his prime then, the son of Algerian immigrants from Marseille powered home two powerful headers past Brazilian keeper Claudio Taffarel to help seal a surprising 3-0 victory in the Stade de France.

END OF CAREER

Zidane announced in April he was bringing down the curtain on his illustrious career by retiring at the end of this World Cup.

"They have a final, the last match in Zinedine Zidane's career, still to play and still to win because a lost final is enormously painful," read the editorial in France's l'Equipe.

In 1998, France wore their home blue shirts, but when they face the "Azzurri" of Italy in Berlin's Olympiastadion on Sunday at 8 p.m. ( 1 p.m. Ja time), they will don white - the same colour they have worn in their last four matches.

The final is so delicately balanced that the bookmakers cannot make their minds up over who should be favourites. For Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero, who scored the second of two extra-time goals to down hosts Germany in Dortmund on Tuesday, his former Juventus team mate Zidane's side have a small edge.

"I think France are slight favourites because they are certainly going into this game with less stress than us," Del Piero said. "In France there isn't the same chaos that we have in Italy that involves our club sides and there isn't the same coverage from the press and television that we have."

Italy is in the midst of a match-fixing scandal that could relegate Del Piero's team Juventus to the third division and top teams AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio to Serie B.

Berlin's airports were bracing for their biggest day ever on Sunday, with 120,000 air passengers expected to pass through the capital - double the normal amount.

Colombian pop singer Shakira will top the bill for the kick-off party on Sunday at the Olympiastadion, performing on a giant stairway in the middle of the pitch. Spanish tenor Placido Domingo will perform at halftime, FIFA said.