Top World Cup moments No3 – Zidane headbutts Materazzi (2006)

No3 – Zidane headbutts Materazzi (2006)

In extra-time in the 2006 final, French star Zinedine Zidane – who, playing his last international for France, had scored in the seventh minute after being acknowledged as the player of the tournament – became involved in a heated exchange with Marco Materazzi, who had scored Italy’s equaliser. No-one knows exactly what was said – the best guess is that Materazzi called either Zidane’s mother or sister “a whore” – but Zidane took offence and headbutted the Italian in the chest, earning a red card. To this day, Zidane refuses to apologise. Italy won the match on penalties.