Elizondo reportedly did not see the headbutt because the ball was in another area of the pitch. He says neither assistant could explain what had happened, leaving the fourth official to provide the decisive information.
The referee recalled his thinking at the time: “O quarto árbitro disse que era vermelho, então eu daria o vermelho.” The decision came before video review was part of football’s officiating system, making the process especially dependent on communication between officials.
Elizondo also says he staged a conversation with an assistant to make the decision appear clearer to spectators. He told him: “Faltam dez minutos, continue concentrado,” before turning towards Zidane and showing the red card.
The French captain’s reaction surprised Elizondo. Rather than protest aggressively, Zidane reportedly began removing his armband as the referee prepared to record the dismissal.
According to Elizondo, Zidane then touched his shoulder and said: “Calma, o cartão vermelho está correto, mas você não ouviu ou viu o que aconteceu antes?” The remark acknowledged the punishment while pointing to the provocation that had preceded it.
Zidane left the pitch, and his final match as a professional ended in extraordinary fashion. The final remained level through extra time before Italy prevailed in the penalty shootout.
The incident has endured because it combined a legendary player, the biggest stage in football and an act of retaliation that appeared to overshadow the match itself. Materazzi later said he had made a comment about Zidane’s sister, while Zidane maintained that apologising for the headbutt would mean accepting the provocation was justified.
The next chapter of this story belongs to the VAR era: future finals may avoid uncertainty over such incidents, but they cannot remove the human drama that made Zidane’s red card unforgettable.