A day in history. Exactly 18 years ago, Zidane knocked out Materazzi with a header
Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
On this day, July 9, 2006, exactly 18 years ago, the national teams of France and Italy faced each other in the final of the World Cup held in Germany.
The match featured one of the most epic moments in the history of World Cup finals.
In the 110th minute of the game, with the score tied at 1-1, France's captain and leader Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italy's central defender Marco Materazzi in the chest, knocking him down. Zidane was, of course, shown a red card for this action.
There was much debate about what provoked Zidane to such an act. Later, Materazzi revealed what he had said to the legendary midfielder:
"Zidane offered to swap shirts, and I simply told him I'd prefer his sister", Materazzi recounted.
As a result, the winner of the World Cup had to be determined by a penalty shootout, in which Italy emerged victorious.
That match was Zidane's last in his illustrious career.
