Horacio Elizondo has given a striking first-hand account of one of the 2006 World Cup's most replayed moments, saying he did not see Zinedine Zidane's headbutt on Marco Materazzi at the time. In a final already defined by Italy's victory and Zidane's sending-off, the former Argentine referee has now explained how the decision was made without VAR.
Elizondo's recollection matters because it goes to the heart of how officials worked in 2006. There was no video review to rescue or overturn a call, so the referee, his assistants and the fourth official had to rely on positioning, communication and judgement in real time.
Elizondo: "No, I didn't see anything"
Reflecting on that night at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Elizondo said: "Twenty years have passed since that 9th July, and now I can admit it: I didn't see a thing." He added: "No, I didn't see anything."
That is the crucial point. The red card that sent Zidane off in extra time was not the product of a clear on-field view of the headbutt. It was the result of Elizondo and his team piecing together what had happened after the incident.
Elizondo also described the moment in blunt terms, calling it a "Terrible cabezazo". And when asked about the aftermath, he said: "When you see the replays, you won't believe your eyes."
How the decision was reached
The referee has stressed that the 2006 World Cup final was not the most complicated match of his career, even if it was the most important. For Materazzi's penalty, he said: "I had a perfect angle." His verdict was immediate: "A clear penalty."
He then recalled the goal decision that came after Zidane's chipped shot hit the crossbar and landed on the goal line. "For me, it was a goal; the ball had crossed the line," Elizondo said. "We returned to the centre circle."
That sequence helped frame the final before the later flashpoint. Materazzi had brought down Malouda in the box in the 7th minute, Zidane's effort was given as a goal, and Materazzi equalised in the 19th minute. By the time the headbutt came in extra time, the match had already swung through several major moments.
Why the 2006 World Cup final still resonates
The final remains memorable not only because Italy won it, but because the closing image was Zidane leaving the field after the headbutt. Elizondo's account shows just how much depended on the officials' awareness in an era before VAR.
He also revealed that a year later, he and Zidane met again, but they did not speak about the final again. That fits the strange legacy of the match: one incident became part of football folklore, yet the referee who handled it is still explaining how little he actually saw in the moment.
Elizondo's wider record underlines why he was in that position. In 2006, he became the first referee to officiate both the opening match and the final of a World Cup, and he handled five matches in the tournament, the most in a single World Cup edition. It was a remarkable run, but the final at the Olympiastadion is the one that still defines his name.
