Twenty years later one of the most unforgettable moments in World Cup history, Zinedine Zidane is set to face Italy again, this time from the touchline as France’s head coach.
The last time Zidane faced the Azzurri was in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, where France and Italy played out a 1-1 draw before Italy won the tournament on penalties.
Zidane opened the scoring with a Panenka penalty before being sent off in extra time for head-butting Italian defender, Marco Materazzi.
It was the final match of his playing career. Now, two decades later, Zidane returns to the France-Italy rivalry in a completely different role.
The former Real Madrid manager took charge of Les Bleus in 2026 and has already begun his tenure with victories over Türkiye and Belgium in the Nations League.
Despite the memories surrounding 2006, Zidane has said he does not regret the incident, while acknowledging that it is not something he is proud of.
He has also stressed that the head-butt is not the only thing he wants remembered about his career. 20 years later, Zizou is back, but this time, he’s wearing a suit.
