Which referee issued a red card in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final?

Horacio Elizondo issued the red card in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. The Argentine referee sent off France captain Zinedine Zidane during extra time after Zidane headbutted Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest.

The incident occurred in the 110th minute, with the final still tied 1–1. Elizondo did not see the headbutt immediately, but he consulted his assistant officials and fourth official Luis Medina Cantalejo before showing Zidane the red card. The decision was later upheld by FIFA.

The match became one of the most famous finals in World Cup history. Zidane and Materazzi had both scored in normal time, but Italy won the trophy 5–3 on penalties after the score remained level through extra time. Elizondo was also notable for refereeing both the opening match and the final of the tournament, a rare achievement.

A common mix-up is confusing Elizondo with Markus Merk, who was among the referees considered for the final. Howard Webb and Pierluigi Collina did not officiate this match.