Overview
- Zinedine Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi in extra time of the World Cup final and was shown a red card, an act that ended Zidane’s international career.
- The match finished 1-1 and Italy won the penalty shootout 5-3, with Zidane having scored France’s penalty and Materazzi scoring Italy’s equaliser.
- Elizondo said the fourth official, Medina Cantalejo, identified the headbutt and that he pretended to consult an assistant so the stadium and TV viewers would understand the red card decision.
- Accounts differ over what provoked Zidane: some reports early on said racist abuse, Zidane later said insults targeted his family, and Materazzi has given a different version, with no definitive documentary proof emerging.
- On the 20th anniversary coverage, commentators and retrospectives have focused on memory, legacy and sportsmanship rather than new factual revelations about what was said before the blow.