Marco Materazzi
A World Cup-winning defender whose career is forever defined by one volcanic exchange with the game's greatest star.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Italian footballer·Birthday: August 19·Generation X
Biography
Marco Materazzi's football legacy is a paradox of brute force and poetic irony. A towering, uncompromising central defender, he was the player fans loved to hate—a master of provocation whose physical play earned him a notorious disciplinary record. His club career was one of fierce loyalty and success, most notably at Inter Milan where he became a fan favorite and won multiple Serie A titles. Yet, his entire story is eclipsed by a single, surreal minute in the 2006 World Cup final. After scoring a crucial header, he was on the receiving end of a headbutt from France's Zinedine Zidane, an act of madness that saw the legendary captain sent off. Materazzi, the antagonist, held his nerve to score in the penalty shootout, securing Italy's fourth World Cup. He remains the man who provoked a genius into infamy and walked away with the trophy.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Marco was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marco Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Marco's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored a goal and won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy, central to the final's defining incident.
- Won five consecutive Serie A titles with Inter Milan from 2006 to 2010, including a historic treble in 2010.
- Scored a remarkable 12 goals in all competitions during the 2000-01 season while playing for Perugia.
- Earned over 40 caps for the Italian national team between 2001 and 2008.
Did You Know?
His father, Giuseppe, was also a professional football manager.
He is known for having numerous tattoos, including one of the World Cup trophy.
After retirement, he served as a manager, including a stint as head coach of Indian Super League club Chennaiyin FC.
He once had a brief, unsuccessful trial with English club Everton early in his career.
“I am what I am, and I won't apologize for it.”
