Soccer's craziest moments: When a legend snapped 😱 | OneFootball

The 2006 World Cup final produced one of the most unbelievable ends to a soccer career ever.

Already planning to retire after the game, France's Zinedine Zidane knew it would be his last appearance as a player – and he went out with a bang. Literally.

The Real Madrid legend had been the hero of the 1998 World Cup final when his country won it for the first time, and a cheeky chipped penalty in this match gave Les Bleus the lead, only for Marco Materazzi to equalize for Italy, sending the game into extra time.

It was during extra time that the two goal scorers came together to create one of the most shocking moments ever seen on a soccer field.

As Zidane jogged away from the Italian defender after an altercation, a barrage of insults from Materazzi (the exact words are still debated to this day) caused the Frenchman to lose his cool. He turned around and delivered a powerful headbutt to the chest of his tormentor.

After a review by the officials, Zidane was shown a red card, bringing his stellar career to an ignominious end.

France went on to lose in the penalty shootout, and the image of Zidane walking past the World Cup trophy remains one of the most iconic in the sport's history.