World Cup 2006 : Aussie Football, A-League Australia

World Cup 2006

Italy conquer the World Cup beating France in a dramatic match!

Zidane's brilliance and moment of madness will never be forgotten as football's most prized trophy is won by the Azzurri in a fiesty match.

From Germany's victory over Costa Rica in the Opening Match in Munich on 9 June to Italy's triumph over France in the Final in Berlin exactly one month later, events in Germany kept an estimated worldwide audience of more than 30 billion people captivated.

The teams that left a mark on this tournament included Argentina, Germany, Portugal, France and of course the winners, Italy. But also the underdogs left their own mark.  Ecuador beat Poland and Costa Rica to reach the second round for the first time; and the spirited Australians fought back to beat Japan with three goals in the last ten minutes and again fought back against Croatia on their way to the last 16.

Arguably the brightest newcomers came from Africa. Ivory Coast gave football powerhouses Argentina and the Netherlands real scares despite losing to both. Angola earned draws with Mexico and Iran, and an attack-minded Ghana beat the Czech Republic and USA before going down to Brazil in the Round of 16.

As football's greatest show moves to South Africa in 2010 there will be no doubt the same magic from the African teams. Look out for Australia and Ecuador to this time take it one step further, and be very afraid of Argentina and Germany as they will be itching for glory in 2010. Brazil was a disappointment but could easily bounce back in South Africa and Italy will want to make it two in a row.