Germany – June 9 - July 9, 2006
The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany delivered one of the most dramatic finals in football history. Italy claimed their fourth World Cup title, defeating France 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The match is forever remembered for Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in extra time, which led to his red card and ended his legendary career.
The World Cup 2006 bracket featured several penalty shootout dramas with 4 knockout matches decided from the spot. France's revival under Zidane saw them defeat Spain, Brazil, and Portugal before falling at the final hurdle. The tournament produced 147 total goals across 64 matches, with host nation Germany finishing third after their emotional semifinal defeat.
Portugal vs Netherlands in the Round of 16 became known as the "Battle of Nuremberg" - the most ill-tempered World Cup match in history with 4 red cards and 16 yellow cards. Portugal won 1-0 but both teams were heavily criticized for their conduct.