Date: June 09 – July 09
After finishing one-one in regulation, Italy overcame France on penalties, winning their fourth world title. Both teams had amazing players: Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Francesco Totti for Italy; Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry representing France.
The match was overshadowed by Zinedine Zidane’s head-butt towards Marco Materazzi, curiously, the only scorers of the game. This incident happened in extra time (min. 110). The Frenchman was sent off, leaving his teammates, and viewers around the world, stunned. Materazzi talked about this episode years later, stating that he mentioned Zidane’s sister in a verbal exchange. During the penalty shootout, David Trezeguet was the only one who missed, giving Italy the title after 24 years.
Germany finished third, beating Portugal three goals to one. A young Bastian Schweinsteiger shinned with a brace in that match. It was the second time Germany end up on the podium, after losing against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup final. Brazil, on the other hand, lost in the quarter-finals, one nil to France. Thierry Henry scored the only goal in the second half.
Format
There were no changes in the format. Eight groups of four teams, with the two best reaching the knockout stages (Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semifinals).
Italy 2006 World Cup Germany 
Italy 2006 World Cup Germany
Results
Semifinals
Germany vs. Italy: 0 – 2
Goals: Fabio Grosso 119′, Alessandro del Piero 120 + 1′
Portugal vs. France: 0 – 1
Goals: Zinedine Zidane 33′ (penalty)
Third Place
Germany vs. Portugal: 3 – 1
Goals: Bastian Schweinsteiger 56′ – 78′, Petit 60′ (own goal), Nuno Gomes 88′
Final
Italy vs. France: 1 – 1 (penalties: 5 – 3)
Goals: Zinedine Zidane 7′ (penal), Marco Materazzi 19′
Top Scorers
| Player | Country | Games Played | Goals |
| 1. Miroslav Klose | Germany | 7 | 5 |
| 2. David Villa | Spain | 4 | 3 |
| 3. Fernando Torres | Spain | 4 | 3 |
[Images property of Ficha Deportiva: Panini S.p.A. – Modena Album]
Un pensamiento