Ranking every World Cup, from worst to best
Germany 2006
Rating: 7/10
Champion: Italy
The Azzurri, dogged by a match-fixing scandal back home involving Juventus, overcame the distraction to win a fourth World Cup, defeating France in the final on penalty kicks. The game had ended 1-1 after extra time.
Host nation: Germany
It was Germany’s second time playing host to the quadrennial event (after the first in 1974) in a tournament held in 12 venues spread out across the country. On the field, Germany would take third place.
Best player: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
The Juventus center-back and Italy captain, considered one of the best defenders of all time, stamped his place in soccer history with his performance at this World Cup. Given the nickname “the Berlin Wall” by Italian supporters, he helped Italy to the title, conceding just two goals in the process. He was later named the 2006 FIFA Player of the Year.
Iconic moment:
France star Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt of Italy defender Marco Matterazzi in the final after the two had exchanged words was a bizarre ending to a career that had included so much success. Time appeared to stand still when Zidane unleashed the headbutt straight into Materazzi’s sternum. Zidane was shown a red card and his slow walk past the World Cup trophy and into the locker room remains one of the most iconic moments of any World Cup.
Quality of play:
The Italians, known for their defense since the 1960s, employed a four-man backline (as did a majority of teams at the tournament that year) that kept opponents from scoring. France, similarly, reached the final with a sturdy back four and two deep-lying midfielders. The final, for example, was a mirror of two identical styles: France’s Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele pitted against Italy’s Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. Goalkeeping was also key at the tournament with Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon and Germany’s Jens Lehmann standing out as two of the best that summer. With so much goalkeeping and defensive might, it’s no surprise that the tournament averaged just 2.30 goals a match.
Kits:
Italy’s shirts got a bit darker and the addition of black accents under the arms made for a welcome addition. Germany’s simple white shirts, with the three black adidas stripes going down the arm and black, red and yellow flashes down the sides became very popular. Among the uglier ones was Ecuador’s yellow home jerseys, with the strange addition of the two red-and-blue stripes in the bottom left corner.
Miscellaneous:
There were a record-breaking 326 yellow cards and 28 red cards issued at the tournament. Russian referee Valentin Ivanov handed out 16 yellows and four reds in the game between Portugal and Netherlands.