Italy 2–0 Ghana
Pirlo scored from distance and Vincenzo Iaquinta secured the victory after a defensive error.
Historic squad guide · Champion
Italy 2006 World Cup Squad
Italy's 2006 World Cup squad won the country's fourth title through defensive excellence, squad depth and contributions from across the team. Marcello Lippi used all but one outfield player, received goals from ten different players and defeated host Germany before beating France in the final penalty shootout.
Tournament resultChampion
FinalItaly 1–1 France · 5–3 pens
Tournament record5 wins · 2 draws
Goals scored12
Goals conceded2
CaptainFabio Cannavaro
Top Italy scorersMaterazzi & Toni · 2
Head coachMarcello Lippi
Archive rating82
How the Italy 2006 team played
Italy defended through collective positioning rather than permanent retreat. Fabio Cannavaro and Marco Materazzi attacked aerial balls, Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso advanced from full-back, and Gianluigi Buffon controlled the penalty area. Andrea Pirlo set the rhythm from deep while Gennaro Gattuso protected him and disrupted transitions. Francesco Totti operated behind Luca Toni, with Simone Perrotta and Mauro Camoranesi moving between midfield and wide areas.
Key players
Captain Cannavaro delivered a dominant tournament without receiving a yellow card. Buffon conceded only two goals, one an own goal and one a penalty. Pirlo created from deep, scored in the opening match and assisted Grosso in the semifinal. Materazzi scored in both the group stage and final, while Grosso won the late penalty against Australia, scored against Germany and converted the winning shootout kick against France.
Legacy of the squad
The title demonstrated how a balanced squad could survive different match types. Italy beat Ghana through midfield quality, resisted a difficult ten-man draw with the United States, controlled Ukraine and then attacked decisively late in extra time against Germany. The final became associated with Zinedine Zidane's dismissal, but Italy's achievement rested on seven unbeaten matches, exceptional defence and a perfect five-penalty shootout.
Every match from the tournament run
Italy 2006 World Cup results
Italy 1–1 United States
Alberto Gilardino scored before Cristian Zaccardo's own goal; both teams finished with ten men after a physical contest.
Italy 2–0 Czech Republic
Materazzi replaced the injured Alessandro Nesta and scored, before Filippo Inzaghi completed the win.
Italy 1–0 Australia
Playing with ten men, Italy advanced through Totti's stoppage-time penalty after Grosso drew a challenge in the box.
Italy 3–0 Ukraine
Zambrotta scored early and Toni added two goals as Italy produced its most comfortable knockout victory.
Italy 2–0 Germany · AET
Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero scored in the final minutes of extra time to eliminate the host before penalties.
Italy 1–1 France · 5–3 pens
Materazzi equalised Zidane's penalty, Buffon made a crucial extra-time save and Italy converted all five shootout kicks.
Verified lineup from the final
Italy 2006 World Cup final starting XI
Italy's final XI used Buffon in goal; Zambrotta, captain Cannavaro, Materazzi and Grosso in defence; Camoranesi, Gattuso, Pirlo and Perrotta across midfield; Totti behind Toni. The formation could shift between 4-4-1-1 and 4-2-3-1, with Pirlo dropping to receive possession and the full-backs supplying much of the width.
- 1Gianluigi Buffon
- 2Gianluca Zambrotta
- 3Fabio Cannavaro
- 4Marco Materazzi
- 5Fabio Grosso
- 6Mauro Camoranesi
- 7Gennaro Gattuso
- 8Andrea Pirlo
- 9Simone Perrotta
- 10Francesco Totti
- 11Luca Toni
Roles behind the tournament run
Key Italy 2006 player contributions
Fabio Cannavaro
Dominated aerial and recovery situations and led a defence that conceded no opponent goal from open play.
Gianluigi Buffon
Controlled the penalty area, made a decisive extra-time save from Zidane and conceded only twice.
Andrea Pirlo
Set the passing rhythm, delivered important set pieces and was named man of the match in the final.
Gennaro Gattuso
Covered Pirlo, pressed second balls and protected Italy when the full-backs advanced.
Fabio Grosso
Won the decisive penalty against Australia, scored the semifinal breakthrough and converted the winning final shootout kick.
Marco Materazzi
Replaced Nesta, scored twice and headed the equaliser in the final before converting in the shootout.
Suggested XI generated from archive order
7a0 suggested Italy 2006 lineup
This playable selection is separate from the verified historical final starting XI shown above.
23 players
Complete Italy 2006 squad by position
Goalkeepers
- #1BuffonGK95
- #12PeruzziGK76
- #14AmeliaGK70
Defenders
- #2ZaccardoRB / CB73
- #3GrossoLB85
- #5CannavaroCB97
- #6BarzagliCB76
- #13NestaCB90
- #19ZambrottaRB / LB85
- #22OddoRB74
- #23MaterazziCB81
Midfielders
- #4De RossiDM / CM / RM81
- #8GattusoDM / RM83
- #10TottiAM / ST90
- #17BaroneCM / LM / AM70
- #20PerrottaLM / CM / AM78
- #21PirloCM / AM91
Forwards
- #7Del PieroST / LW84
- #9ToniST83
- #11GilardinoST78
- #15IaquintaST / RW76
- #16CamoranesiRW / RM80
- #18InzaghiST81
Legend markers in 7a0
Featured legends
BuffonCannavaroDel PieroTottiNestaPirlo
Italy 2006 FAQ
Who started for Italy in the 2006 World Cup final?
Italy's starting XI in the 2006 final was Gianluigi Buffon; Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Marco Materazzi, and Fabio Grosso; Mauro Camoranesi, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, and Simone Perrotta; Francesco Totti and Luca Toni. They defeated France 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in Berlin.
How many goals did Italy concede at the 2006 World Cup?
Italy conceded only two goals across seven tournament matches: an own goal by Cristian Zaccardo against the United States and a Zinedine Zidane penalty in the final. Remarkably, no opposing player scored an open-play goal against Gianluigi Buffon and the Italian defence.
Why was Fabio Cannavaro nicknamed 'The Berlin Wall' in 2006?
Fabio Cannavaro earned the moniker after delivering an extraordinary defensive tournament without receiving a single yellow card in 690 minutes of play. His leadership and aerial dominance led Italy to the title and won him the 2006 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year.
What happened during the Zidane and Materazzi incident in the final?
Zinedine Zidane was sent off in the 110th minute of extra time after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest following a verbal exchange. Materazzi had previously scored Italy's 19th-minute equalizer with a towering header and later scored in the penalty shootout.
Who scored Italy's winning penalty in the 2006 shootout?
Fabio Grosso scored the fifth and decisive penalty to seal Italy's 5–3 shootout victory after David Trezeguet hit the crossbar for France. Italy converted all five of their penalties, taken by Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi, Del Piero, and Grosso.
How did Italy defeat host Germany in the 2006 semifinal?
Italy defeated Germany 2–0 in Dortmund with two sensational goals in the 119th and 121st minutes of extra time from Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero. Marcello Lippi had boldly introduced multiple attackers in extra time to avoid penalties.
How many different players scored for Italy at the 2006 World Cup?
Ten different players scored Italy's 12 tournament goals, demonstrating extraordinary squad depth. The goalscorers were Pirlo, Iaquinta, Gilardino, Materazzi, Inzaghi, Totti, Zambrotta, Toni, Grosso, and Del Piero.
Who was named Man of the Match in the 2006 World Cup final?
Andrea Pirlo was awarded Man of the Match in the final after assisting Materazzi's equalizer from a corner and scoring the opening penalty in the shootout. Pirlo earned three Man of the Match awards during the tournament, more than any other player.
What ratings do Italy 2006 players have in 7a0?
Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro both hold 93 force ratings in 7a0, with Andrea Pirlo and Francesco Totti rated 91 and 90. The 2006 Azzurri squad features a peak team cohesion rating of 89 in the 7a0 match engine.
How can I play with the Italy 2006 squad in 7a0?
Select Italy from the 2006 World Cup archive in 7a0 to recruit Buffon, Cannavaro, Pirlo, and Totti into your dream lineup. You can deploy Lippi's resilient 4-4-1-1 formation and simulate penalty shootouts in competitive game modes.
Sources and editorial review
Editorial review: 7a0.online
Last reviewed: 2026-07-25
Historical results and lineups are checked against the cited records. Player ratings, position eligibility and suggested lineups are independent 7a0 editorial values.