Photographer Who Captured Zidane’s Headbutt Recalls the World Cup Shock Moment

Twenty years after the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin, the headbutt by Zinedine Zidane into Marco Materazzi’s chest remains one of football’s most infamous images. Zidane, one of the sport’s greatest players and now a decorated coach expected to succeed Didier Deschamps as France manager after the next World Cup, was sent off in his final professional match during France’s loss to Italy.

The article focuses on John MacDougall, the French photographer who captured the moment itself, not the later image of Zidane walking past the trophy with his head down. MacDougall said he arrived late to the photographers’ briefing and was told to shoot from a high position in the stands, paying attention to things other than the ball. At the start of extra time, he noticed Materazzi marking Zidane and saw a brief exchange between them.

“I zoomed in and focused on Materazzi, I can’t even explain why,” MacDougall recalled. “Suddenly Zidane came back into frame and just headbutted him in the chest!” He said he pressed the shutter almost by reflex and initially thought he had missed the shot because everything happened so quickly.

Around 250 photographers were working at the match, including about 50 in the stands, but most missed the decisive moment because they were following the ball. MacDougall said he then asked colleagues whether they had seen it, and only later understood the significance of the picture, which he described as a powerful image that still resonates today.