- 2006-2007 Home Shorts
- Squad Players: Zinédine Zidane, Patrice Evra, Thierry Henry
- Brand: Adidas
- Sponsor: -
With Raymond Domenech as the new coach, France's start to the qualification campaign for the 2006 World Cup was underwhelming, with all home matches against Ireland, Switzerland, and Ireland ending in scoreless draws. However, Domenech successfully orchestrated the return of Zidane, Makélélé, and Thuram, and with their presence, France secured a vital away victory against Ireland. They topped the group, finishing two points ahead of Switzerland and Israel. Zidane announced that the World Cup would mark his final matches as a professional player.
France's start at the 2006 World Cup in Germany was also less than ideal, with a 0-0 draw against Switzerland and a 1-1 draw against South Korea. Zidane received yellow cards in both matches, leading to his suspension for the match against Togo. Despite his absence, France won 2-0 against Togo.
In the playoffs, Zidane played a crucial role, scoring the final goal against Spain (3-1) and converting a penalty against Portugal in the semi-finals. The most notable performance came in the quarter-final against Brazil, where Zidane dominated the midfield with his subtle play. Henry scored the only goal in the second half after a free kick by Zidane.
In the final against Italy, Zidane scored from a penalty kick, becoming the fourth player after Vavá, Pelé, and Breitner to score in two finals. However, in the second half, Marco Materazzi equalized for Italy. In extra time, Zidane came close to scoring with a header, but a miraculous save from Gianluigi Buffon denied him. Shortly after, Materazzi provoked Zidane, who responded with a headbutt, resulting in his immediate dismissal from the pitch. In the penalty shootout, only David Trezeguet missed a penalty, and France finished as runners-up.
