The infamous final play of Zinedine Zidane’s storied international career with the French national team has been immortalized as a 5-metre-high statue.
Zidane statue in front of Pompidou museum.
Zidane’s notorious head-butt to the chest of Italian defender Marco Materazzi has been unveiled in front of the Pompidou art museum in the centre of Paris.
The statue was created by Algerian-born artist Adel Abdessemed. Zidane was born to Algerian parents who immigrated to France prior to the start of the Algerian War.
The head-butt took place in the 110th minute of the 2006 World Cup final after Materazzi supposedly continually insulted Zizou’s family.
Zidane had planned to retire from international play following the match with hopes of helping France to its second World Cup trophy.
Instead, Zidane received a red card for his actions and France fell to the Italians in a penalty shootout.