Zidane Headbutt

The controversy over the final game's misconduct

Zidane was sent off for violent conduct after headbutting Italy's defender, Marco Materazzi, in the chest in the 110th minute, after arguing over something while walking down the field. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and Italy won the championship after a penalty kick shootout.

Regarding the substance of the argument, Zidane's agent Alain Migliaccio said, "[Zidane] told me Materazzi said something very serious to him but he wouldn't tell me what."

On July 10, 2006, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball for the best player in the 2006 World Cup. The winner was selected by a poll of journalists covering the tournament. Zidane narrowly won the award with 2,012 votes, closely followed by second place finisher Fabio Cannavaro, who polled 1,977 votes. Although the polling continued until midnight, most votes were cast during half-time, prior to the headbutting incident.