2006 World Cup Germany

Number of participating teams: 32

Top scorer: Germany’s Miroslav Klose (5 goals)

Number of games: 64

Total goals scored: 147

Average goals per game: 2.30

Highest scoring game: Germany’s 4-2 win over Costa Rica on June 9; Argentina’s 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro on June 16

Total attendance: 3,352,605

Average attendance: 52,384

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

The top teams from each of the eight groups advanced to the knockout round.

THE FINAL

Italy and France faced off in the final on July 9 in a rematch of the Euro 2000 final when David Trezeguet scored a golden goal to lift Les Bleus to victory. Trezeguet would again play a prominent role in the proceedings in Berlin, but the outcome would be much different for the French.

France took the lead in the seventh minute from the penalty spot after Florent Malouda went down inside the Italian box. Zinedine Zidane stepped up to the spot and clipped his effort off the crossbar and just over the goal-line.

The Italians were staggered, but they slowly gained control of the match and netted the equalizer in the 19th minute. Andrea Pirlo delivered an exquisite corner kick into the middle of the penalty area and Marco Materazzi majestically rose through the air to drive a powerful header past sprawling French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.

The French pinned the Italians back in their end of the field at the start of extra time. While France valiantly pressed forward in attack, Italy sat back in defence and soaked up the pressure. And then, at the 110-minute mark, one of the most talked about and controversial moments in World Cup history unfolded before the stunned Berlin crowd: Zidane, inexplicably, head-butted Materazzi after an exchange of words.

What did Materazzi say to set off the usually sedate Zidane? Speculation would run rampant in the ensuing months, and to this day nobody knows for sure. What is certain is that the career of one of the game’s all-time greats was over in an instant of pure madness: the Argentine referee showed Zidane a red card, and France was reduced to 10 men.

Neither team did much attacking in the final 10 minutes, as they seemed content to decide the matter via penalty shootout. The two sides traded early goals, with Pirlo scoring for the Italians, and Sylvain Wiltord replying for the French. Materazzi strode up to the spot and drove a powerful shot past a diving Barthez to put Italy in front 2-1.

Then came another turning point – Trezeguet blasted his shot off the crossbar (he was the only French player to miss in the shootout) and the Italians suddenly had the upper hand. Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Del Piero converted for Italy, while Eric Abidal and Willy Sagnol tallied to keep France alive.

Sitting on a 4-3 lead, Italy now had a chance to kill off the French and exact revenge for their capitulation in the Euro 2000 final. Fabio Grosso, the unheralded Palermo defender who proved to be the hero against Germany in the semifinals, calmly walked up to the spot and placed a perfect shot that flew by Barthez and bulged the back of the net.

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Germany	3	3	0	0	8	2	+6	9
Ecuador	3	2	0	1	5	3	+2	6
Poland	3	1	0	2	2	4	−2	3
Costa Rica	3	0	0	3	3	9	−6	0

Germany 4-2 Costa Rica
Poland 0-2 Ecuador
Germany 1-0 Poland
Ecuador 3-0 Costa Rica
Ecuador 0-3 Germany
Costa Rica 1-2 Poland

Group B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
England	3	2	1	0	5	2	+3	7
Sweden	3	1	2	0	3	2	+1	5
Paraguay	3	1	0	2	2	2	0	3
Trinidad and Tobago	3	0	1	2	0	4	−4	1

England 1-0 Paraguay
Trinidad and Tobago 1-1 Sweden
England 2-0 Trinidad and Tobago
Sweden 1-0 Paraguay
Sweden 2-2 England
Paraguay 2-0 Trinidad and Tobago

Group C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Argentina	3	2	1	0	8	1	+7	7
Netherlands	3	2	1	0	3	1	+2	7
Ivory Coast	3	1	0	2	5	6	−1	3
Serbia and Montenegro	3	0	0	3	2	10	−8	0

Argentina 2-1 Ivory Coast
Serbia and Montenegro 0-1 Netherlands
Argentina 6-0 Serbia and Montenegro
Netherlands 2-1 Ivory Coast
Netherlands 0-0 Argentina
Ivory Coast 2-1 Serbia and Montenegro

Group D

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Portugal	3	3	0	0	5	1	+4	9
Mexico	3	1	1	1	4	3	+1	4
Angola	3	0	2	1	1	2	−1	2
Iran	3	0	1	2	2	6	−4	1

Mrxico 3-1 Iran
Angola 0-1 Portugal
Mexico 0-0 Angola
Portugal 2-0 Iran
Portugal 2-1 Mexico
Iran 1-1 Angola

Group E

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Italy	3	2	1	0	5	1	+4	7
Ghana	3	2	0	1	4	3	+1	6
Czech Republic	3	1	0	2	3	4	−1	3
USA	3	0	1	2	2	6	−4	1

USA 0-3 Czech Republic
Italy 2-0 Ghana
Czech Republic 0-2 Ghana
Italy 1-1 USA
Czech Republic 0-2 Italy
Ghana 2-1 USA

Group F

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Brazil	3	3	0	0	7	1	+6	9
Australia	3	1	1	1	5	5	0	4
Croatia	3	0	2	1	2	3	−1	2
J apan	3	0	1	2	2	7	−5	1

Australia 3-1 Japan
Brazil 1-0 Croatia
Japan 0-0 Croatia
Brazil 2-0 Australia
Japan 1-4 Brazil
Croatia 2-2 Australia

Group G

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Switzerland	3	2	1	0	4	0	+4	7
France	3	1	2	0	3	1	+2	5
South Korea	3	1	1	1	3	4	−1	4
Togo	3	0	0	3	1	6	−5	0

South Korea 2-1 Togo
France 0-0 Switzerland
France 1-1 South Kora
Togo 0-2 Switzerland
Togo 0-2 France
Switzerland 2-0 South Korea

Group H

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Spain	3	3	0	0	8	1	+7	9
Ukraine	3	2	0	1	5	4	+1	6
Tunisia	3	0	1	2	3	6	−3	1
Saudi Arabia	3	0	1	2	2	7	−5	1

Spain 4-0 Ukraine
Tunisia 2-2 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia 0-4 Ukraine
Spain 3-1 Tunisia
Saudi Arabia 0-1 Spain
Ukkraine 1-0 Tunisia

Knockout stage