Spain captain Raul says he hopes to celebrate his birthday on Tuesday with a victory over France and by wishing his former club colleague Zinedine Zidane a happy retirement.
"It's the first time I'll be celebrating my birthday during a tournament because in the past we have usually been put out earlier than this on the 24th or 25th," said the Real Madrid striker, who turns 29 on Tuesday.
"But tomorrow I'll be forgetting all the personal things and concentrating on the team and the game. The perfect way to celebrate will be with a win," he said on Monday.
"I obviously hope that it will be Zidane's last game. He's a great player and has played his last game for his club and I hope that, for the good of Spain, tomorrow will be his last one for France."
Zidane, who was 34 last week, has announced that he will retire at the end of the World Cup.
Raul will win his 99th cap for Spain in Tuesday's second round match in Hanover. The game will give him a chance to settle a score after missing a last-minute penalty when his side lost 2-1 to France in the quarter-finals of Euro 2000.
"Like everyone else I want to achieve something big with this team and we've got a one-off opportunity to do that tomorrow," he said.
"In theory if we win this one, we might then play Brazil and then England, so we could play three teams that have all been world champions.
"This is our chance and we will need to give more than 100 percent to take it .... We want to show that we are a team that can aspire to winning the trophy.
Raul, in his third World Cup, said that the present squad was the most talented with which he has played.
"I think this squad has more quality than any other in recent memory and that's why the coach has adopted a style of game that is based on having the ball at our feet.
"We have a great mixture of youth and experience and I hope it will be Spain's year."
Questioned about the whether he had considered international retirement after the World Cup, the striker said he had not even entertained the thought.
"I want and hope to continue playing in many more important tournaments, but for me the most important thing is the present and that means focusing on tomorrow's game."
