Zinédine Zidane: 20 years on, he recalls his Panenka against Gianluigi Buffon in the 2006 World Cup final | OneFootball

A legendary moment for football

Zinédine Zidane: 20 years on, he recalls his Panenka against Gianluigi Buffon in the 2006 World Cup final

Zinédine Zidane takes a look back at the penalty he took in the 2006 World Cup final. Twenty years after that clash with Italy, the former French international revisits his Panenka attempt against Gianluigi Buffon in Berlin. In an interview with L'Équipe, he fully embraces this instinctive choice that became iconic.

On July 9, 2006, at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, France faced Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. Just seven minutes in, Zidane stepped up to take a penalty won by Florent Malouda. In front of him: Gianluigi Buffon, the legendary goalkeeper, teammate and well-known rival of the French number 10 at Juventus. A detail that weighed heavily in his decision. “I had to do it because it was ‘Gigi’ Buffon in front of me. He knows me too well. I know him too. I had to surprise him,” Zidane recalls.

Accustomed to taking his penalties powerfully, right-footed to the goalkeeper’s left, with a closed foot, Zidane knew Buffon would anticipate. In fact, as he reveals, the Italian keeper immediately dove to his right on the attempt.

Instinct over calculation

As he placed the ball, Zidane already knew what he was going to do: a Panenka, that delicate move where you chip the ball straight down the middle. “As soon as I pick up the ball, I know I’m going to do that. I need to innovate, to invent something just for him.” The ball struck the crossbar before crossing the line. For a split second, the world held its breath. The goal was awarded. France led 1-0.

For Zidane, the risk was calculated. “If I missed, it didn’t matter because there was still time left. The important thing is to create emotions.” Twenty years later, the former Les Bleus captain has no regrets. “I love what I did. In general, I did everything on instinct, with my heart, I didn’t overthink. That’s what makes football so great. It has to be spontaneous to create. People love that—the madness, the creativity. You miss, you succeed. It doesn’t matter. The important thing is to create emotions.”

That penalty remains one of the most memorable moments in World Cup final history. It perfectly embodies Zidane’s personality: daring, creativity, risk-taking. The rest is history. Italy equalized through Marco Materazzi, then won on penalties in a final also marked by Zidane’s sending off in extra time.

But despite the cruel end for Les Bleus, that Panenka against Buffon remains a suspended moment—a flash of genius that transcends generations.