Picture this, it’s the 2006 World Cup final and biggest sporting event in the globe…

Your countries, if not the world’s, best player, Zinedine Zidane has come out of retirement to drag you, France, to an unlikely world cup final, and himself to the verge of footballing immortality.

He goes and puts you ahead 1 – 0 inside the opening eight minutes from a spot kick… but the advantage is erased ten minutes later by Italy. And so it remains 1 – 1 until deep into extra time. It’s all set up - cometh the moment, cometh the man.

Zizou, as he’s affectionately known, thrusts his head forward looking for contact, and he successfully makes a powerful connection. Marco Materazzi makes sure it isn’t missed. But to be sure, Gianluigi Buffon storms toward the assistant referees to put it beyond doubt. And there it is, the moment that decides the World Cup.

No, it wasn’t a famous world cup winning headed goal, but instead an infamous world cup deciding headbutt, and resultant red card.

The final minutes of play elapsed, so there was no actual scoreboard damage done as a direct consequence of Zidane’s actions - the game progressed to spot kicks. But now their best penalty taker is forbidden from replicating his actions from the game’s opening minutes.

Instead the French captain was the most talented spectator in the Olympiastadion, and the clinical Italians became Champions of the World.