Referee reveals what Zidane told him after red card vs. Italy in 2006 World Cup Final
· Yahoo Sports
Horacio Elizondo, the referee of the 2006 World Cup Final, reveals Zinedine Zidane reassured him that the red card was correct but also asked: ‘Didn’t you see what happened before?’
July 9 2026, marked the 20th anniversary of Italy’s World Cup victory.
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The Azzurri famously beat France on penalties in the final, with Zidane sent off just ten minutes before the penalty shootout for headbutting Materazzi.
Argentine official Elizondo, the referee of that match, described the moments that led to that decision and what Zidane told him before leaving the pitch.
That was also Zidane’s final game as a footballer, making his red card incident even more legendary.
“I saw Materazzi didn’t get up, so I stopped the play and started running towards him,” Elizondo told Gazzetta.
“While I was running, I asked the first assistant: ‘What happened?’ He said: ‘I didn’t see anything.’ Same for the second assistant. We didn’t know what had happened.
“At that moment, Medina Cantalejo, the fourth official, told me: Zidane headbutted Materazzi. In all this, I thought: These guys didn’t see anything, the same goes for the crowd, from TV I don’t know. The fourth official says it’s a red card, so I’ll give a red card, but I need to do something to help the world understand.”
What Zidane told referee after red card in 2006 World Cup final
Elizondo feared that the crowd in the stadium would not understand why he showed red to Zidane, so he pretended to discuss the matter with one of his assistants.
“I started talking to the assistant, pretending that he knew something. I wanted to make this ‘acting’ to make people understand [we were making a decision]. I told him: ‘Ten minutes to go, remain focused.’ Then I turned and gave the red card to Zidane,” Elizondo said.
epa00768064 Italian player Marco Materazzi tries to put a hat over the World Cup trophy after the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup between Italy and France at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, Sunday 09 July 2006. EPA/BERND WEISSBROD +++ Mobile Services OUT +++ Please refer to FIFA’s Terms and Conditions.
“I was curious to see Zidane’s reaction and whether he would defend his position. When he saw me running with my hand in the back pocket, he started taking his captain’s armband off.
“So I thought, okay, it’s done, and I started to relax a bit. When I was about to write his name on the sheet, he touched my shoulder and said: ‘Calm, the red card is correct, but didn’t you hear or see what happened before?’ I said: ‘No, what happened?’ But he just turned his back and went out.”
Italy has not played a World Cup knockout game since 2014, having been eliminated in the group stages in 2010 and 2014, and failing to qualify altogether in 2018, 2022, and 2026.