Rabat– Nearly two decades after one of football’s most infamous moments, Italy’s legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has admitted he played a role in Zinedine Zidane being sent off during the 2006 World Cup final.
In a newly published interview on The Guardian, the Italian goalkeeper visited back the dramatic incident in Berlin, where Zidane’s career ended with a red card after headbutting Marco Materazzi during extra time.
Buffon openly acknowledged that he alerted the match officials after witnessing the altercation. “Zidane’s headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final? It’s my fault he was sent off.”
He then described the moment in vivid detail: “I was about 15 meters away and I heard the dull thud. If he had done that to just about anyone else, that person would have been knocked out cold.“
According to Buffon, none of the officials had clearly seen the incident at first. “The linesman didn’t see it. The only witness was me. So I rushed over to the referee and his assistant to draw their attention.“
🚨🗣️ Gianluigi Buffon: “Zidane’s headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final? It’s my fault he was sent off.”
“I was about 15 meters away and I heard the dull thud. If he had done that to just about anyone else, that person would have been knocked out cold.”
“The linesman didn’t see… pic.twitter.com/NmFisM85y1
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) April 22, 2026
That intervention ultimately led to Zidane being shown a straight red card, the final act of the French icon’s playing career. Italy would go on to win the match on penalties and lift the World Cup trophy.
Despite helping Italy in the final, Buffon admitted he felt conflicted in the moment. “Materazzi was on the ground. Zidane was standing still, I was protesting, the match was interrupted.“
“I was devastated and torn between conflicting emotions. I knew that this was Zidane’s last game and he was one of the greatest and most elegant players in football history. I was sorry that it ended this way for him.“
Buffon and Zidane had shared mutual respect throughout their careers, making the moment even more difficult for the Italian goalkeeper.
He also revealed that the two have never discussed the incident directly, despite seeing each other many times since. “We’ve never talked about it. Obviously, we’ve seen each other many, many times since, and I think we have a good relationship based on mutual trust.“
“I’ve never wanted to bring up the subject out of respect. He’s a champion who’s won everything, but I believe that deep down, it will always be a painful situation for him.“
This new revelation adds so much context to one of football’s most replayed and debated moments.