It was a moment that probably cost France what would have been their second World Cup win in just 8 years. Zinedine Zidane's headbutt of Italy's Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final shocked the world and had far-reaching consequences.
Zidane had opened the scoring in the seventh minute via a penalty, but Italy equalised through Materazzi 12 minutes later. The stage was set for a massive confrontation that would unfold in extra time.
Zidane's red card did affect the French team a great deal. In the penalty shootout after the score remained 1-1 after extra time, Zidane wasn't there to guide his team, and to take his own shot at goal. Italy won it 5-3 to lift their fourth World Cup.
Later, it turned out that Materazzi had abused Zidane's mother and sister, calling him a terrorist. This revelation sparked a heated debate about the incident and its aftermath.
Zidane was fined £3,260 and banned for three games for his role in the incident. Materazzi, on the other hand, copped a fine of £2,170 besides a two-game suspension.
The Frenchman, considered one of the greatest of all time, never played for France again. Although he apologised for what happened on such a grand stage, he never regretted attacking Materazzi.
Despite the infamous incident, Zidane went on to win the Golden Ball for the tournament's best player. Even though it happened 20 years ago, it continues to be a debating thing among football fans all over the world.
