Review of the final match - France vs Italy

What an occasion the 18th final produced with excitement at the start and incredible drama at the end as Zidane, on his farewell to the game he has graced for so long with his artistry skill, was shown the red card. On it went to a penalty showdown and five unerring Italian spot-kicks delivered them the title of world champions, with David Trezeguet the luckless player to miss.

Zidane will remember this night for as long as he lives. It was supposed to be his swansong and France had promised to repeat their success of 1998 for their retiring captain. Only he will know what possessed him when he thrust his forehead into the chest of Marco Materazzi like a billy-goat. Zidane had to go, accompanied down the tunnel by the glare of thousands and thousands of flash bulbs and the tears of the legions of French supporters.

“Allez les Blues” they had chorused again and again. The Blues came through all right but it was the blue of Italy that held sway. France were wearing white as it looked the luckier colour compared to blue in this World Cup.

It had looked good for France early on and for long periods of the game when they looked the more creative side. Their penalty came after Florent Malouda drove into the box and was felled by a clumsy challenge from Materazzi. Zidane opted to nonchalantly chip his spot kick above the diving Gianluigi Buffon and the ball struck the bar before bouncing down behind the line to put France ahead. The linesman signalled a goal and Zidane celebrated the first and only time an opponent had scored against Italy in the tournament. Previously they had conceded just one own goal. Zidane, who headed two goals in the 1998 showpiece match, became only the fourth player to score three times in World Cup finals after Brazilian duo Vava and Pele and England's Geoff Hurst, who got a hat-trick in the 1966 final.

Italy equalised 12 minutes later when Materazzi atoned for his earlier misdemeanour by rising magnificently above Patrick Vieira to head home an Andrea Pirlo corner from the right. It was the first time both teams had scored in the final in 20 years and Italy went close again in the 36th minute when striker Luca Toni headed against the bar from Pirlo's cross.

France started the second half full of running with their lone striker Thierry Henry, who was a frustrated, unused substitute in the 1998 final against Brazil, looking dangerous. Fabien Barthez was beaten again in the 62nd minute by a Toni header which was ruled offside but France remained the more adventurous amid the tiredness as the error count rose. They could not force a way through, though, and the final went into an extra 30 minutes for the fifth time.

Zidane could have finished the night as a two-goal hero, just as he was eight years ago, when he forced a spectacular save from Buffon after 105 minutes as he met Willy Sagnol's cross with a stunning header. However, Zidane, who opened the scoring with a penalty after seven minutes, was sent off nine minutes from the end of extra-time for a head butt into the chest of Marco Materazzi, who had equalised for Italy with a 19th-minute header. It was certainly not the way Zidane would have wanted to end his glorious career but the Italians did not care.

Instead, it was Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, exemplary again in his 100th international, who lifted the trophy to add to the Azzurri's successes of 1934, 1938 and 1982. They have become the second most successful team in World Cup history after Brazil, who have won it five times.