2026 World Cup: 20 years ago, when Spain wanted to "retire Zidane"

"We're going to retire Zidane," the Spanish daily Marca had proclaimed. One couldn't have dreamed of a better way to prick the pride of the 2006 French team who, three days later, would send the entire Spanish team packing in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

For the second time in its World Cup history, France is preparing to face Spain on Tuesday in Arlington, near Dallas, this time in the semi-finals. And all indications are that the Spanish sports daily will avoid the sin of pride it committed on its front page on June 24, 2006.

When the 2006 World Cup was held in Germany, Spain was not yet the powerhouse that would dominate world football in the years to come. They had never won the ultimate title, Sergio Ramos was only 20 years old and played as a full-back, but the players under coach Luis Aragones had comfortably secured their place in the round of 16 with three victories.

This could fan the flames of the young Spanish team's ambitions, while at the same time the experienced but aging French team gave themselves a scare: two draws against Switzerland (0-0) and South Korea (1-1) brought back the specters of the shipwreck of elimination in the group stage in 2002, before Raymond Domenech's France qualified by beating Togo (2-0).

A tense final group match which the fiery Zinedine Zidane did not play, suspended after two yellow cards in the first two matches.

- "We're going to fleece him" -

"Zizou," who just turned 34 on June 23, announced in the spring that his career would end with this World Cup. The magnificent Real Madrid playmaker had already retired from international football once before, in 2004 after the disappointing European Championship in Portugal, but he came out of retirement in the summer of 2005 to save his country from relegation on the road to the 2006 World Cup.

From the round of 16 onwards, every match could be the last for the French captain. A tragedy for millions of French people who cannot sever ties with the greatest player they have seen since Michel Platini.

For Zidane, this 105th cap on June 27 in Hanover has a special flavor, he, the adopted Madrileño, who is now very high in the legend of Real.

The match also marks the reunion on the field between Thierry Henry and Aragones, 20 months after the latter's racist remarks - "Black shit", he had said during a training session of La Roja - which had caused an uproar and earned the coach a fine, "ridiculous and laughable" according to the French international, of 3,000 euros.

Although Marca is not exactly subtle in its inside pages either, also attacking the Gallic rooster ("We're going to pluck it"), the newspaper is not wrong in announcing a "clash of generations".

Besides Zidane, Lilian Thuram (34 years old), Claude Makélélé (33 years old) and Fabien Barthez (35 years old) might seem out of their depth against the polished play of the young Spanish wolves, embodied by David Villa (24 years old), Fernando Torres (22 years old) or Andres Iniesta (22 years old).

The start of the match confirmed this with Villa opening the scoring from the penalty spot (28th minute), after a foul by Thuram in the box.

But Patrick Vieira (30 years old), already monstrous against Togo, is unstoppable: a brilliant decisive pass for Franck Ribéry, revelation of this World Cup who beats Iker Casillas with a hook to equalize (41st), then a liberating header on a free kick from Zidane (83rd).

And symbolically, it was Zizou who buried Spanish hopes by scoring with his right foot (90th+2).

- "Never stop!"

"For me, it was clear that this wasn't the last match," he said at the final whistle. "You have to accept good criticism, the constructive kind. But there are guys who never touch a ball and yet they think they can say whatever they want."

Later, he would recount that on that strangely well-aimed shot that caught Casillas off guard, the captain felt a pain in his thigh. It was while injured that he played the quarter-final against Brazil, where he delivered one of his finest performances.

In a show of sportsmanship, Marca changed its tune after France's victory over the Seleção (1-0): "Never stop!" headlined the Spanish daily.

The rest is history: a Panenka penalty in the final, the headbutt against Marco Materazzi, and the penalty shootout defeat against Italy. Impossible to swallow.

Spain, for its part, would achieve the ultimate prize four years later in South Africa, also winning Euro 2008 and 2012 to reward the talent of a golden generation which Iniesta, who did not enter the game on June 27, 2006, eventually took the reins of.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

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June 27, 2006

2006 FIFA World Cup - Round of 16

In Hanover (AWD-Arena): France beat Spain 3-1 (1-1 at half-time)

France qualifies for the quarter-finals

Ground: good

Weather: mild

Lighting: good

Attendance: 43,000

Referee: Roberto Rosetti (ITA)

Goals:

Spain: Villa (28 sp)

France: Ribéry (41), Vieira (83), Zidane (90+2)

Warnings:

Spain: Puyol (82)

France: Vieira (68), Ribéry (87), Zidane (90+2)

The teams:

Spain: Casillas - Sergio Ramos, Pablo, Puyol, Pernia - Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Xavi (Marcos Senna 72) - Raul (cap.) (Luis Garcia 54) - Fernando Torres, Villa (Joaquin 54)

Coach: Luis Aragones

France: Barthez - Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Abidal - Vieira, Makelele - Ribéry, Zidane (cap.), Malouda (Govou 75) - Henry (Wiltord 88)

Coach: Raymond Domenech