Italy 2006
Italy won Germany 2006 in the midst of the Calciopoli scandal the match-fixing investigation that was rocking Italian football. Far from crumbling, Marcello Lippi's Azzurri used the adversity as fuel. Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, and an impenetrable defence barely conceded throughout the tournament. In the final on 9 July in Berlin, before 69,000 spectators, Zinédine Zidane gave France the lead with a chipped penalty an audacious Panenka but Marco Materazzi headed home the equaliser. In extra time came the most shocking moment in World Cup history: Zidane headbutted Materazzi in the chest and was sent off in what was his last ever match as a professional. In the shootout, Italy were flawless: 5-3. Fabio Grosso struck the decisive penalty and the Azzurri lifted their fourth World Cup.
