Italy won the World Cup after beating France 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out following a 1–1 draw at the conclusion of extra time.

Italy national football team
2006 FIFA World Cup/Champion

Italy
Italy won the tournament, claiming their fourth World Cup title. They defeated France 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out in the final, after extra time had finished in a 1–1 draw.

Greece national football team
UEFA Euro 2004/Champion

Sunday’s match between Portugal and the Netherlands, in which 16 yellow cards and four reds were shown, brought the total of red cards in Germany 2006 to 23 in 52 matches. The four red cards were the most in any single World Cup match.

The Azzurri won the competition in a controversial and nerve-wracking final on penalties. 2006 was the year in which Italy finally ended their 24-year search for a World Cup as they prevailed over France on penalties in the grand finale to lift the biggest honour in football for the fourth time in the nation’s history.

Italy’s first official match as a national team was against France on 15 May 1910, and the two countries developed a football rivalry. They have faced each other in several world-stage tournaments, including previous World Cups in 1938 (3–1 Italy), 1978 (2–1 Italy), 1986 (2–0 France), and 1998 (4–3 in penalty-shootout to France).

It was the first final since 1978 in which neither Germany nor Brazil competed (and the second since 1938 ); it was also the first all-European final since Italy won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and the second final to be decided on penalties ( 1994 was the first, with Italy losing on that occasion).

Australia qualified for the first time since 1974. Among the teams who failed to qualify were 2002 third-placed team Turkey, quarter-finalists Senegal, Euro 2004 winners Greece and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations winners Egypt.