10 Craziest World Cup Red Cards

Of course, no list of the most shocking red cards in World Cup history would be complete without this man. Zidane, one of the greatest players of all time, had come out of international retirement to help France win the 2006 edition of the global tournament. The team made it all the way to the final, with Zidane being crowned the best player of the event.

However, his participation in the 2006 World Cup will be best remembered for that shocking moment near the end of extra time when the playmaker launched a powerful headbutt into the chest of Marco Materazzi, receiving a straight red for violent conduct. France went on to lose the game on penalties.

For a long time, nobody knew the exact reasoning behind Zidane’s actions, but the whole story has since been revealed. Materazzi had been tugging on Zidane’s shirt during the match, so the Frenchman joked that he’d give it to him at the end of the game. Materazzi responded by saying he’d prefer to have Zidane’s sister, sending the French number 10 into a rage.