Players sent off in a World Cup final
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Only five players in the entire history of the World Cup have been sent off during a final. In a tournament that has produced more than 200 red cards across all rounds since 1930, the final has rarely seen a dismissal, which makes each one stand out sharply. World Cup winner odds will be updated throughout the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but those tracking the competition through history will know that discipline in the final has almost always held.
Below is a look at every player dismissed in a World Cup final, the circumstances behind each red card, and what it meant for the match.
Pedro Monzon, Argentina vs West Germany, 1990
Pedro Monzon holds the record as the first player ever sent off in a World Cup final. The Argentine defender was shown a straight red card in the 65th minute of the 1990 final in Rome after a foul on Jurgen Klinsmann. West Germany were leading at the time, and Monzon’s dismissal left Argentina down to 10 men for the final quarter of the match.
Argentina’s situation worsened three minutes from time when Gustavo Dezotti was also sent off for grabbing the neck of Jurgen Kohler, making them the only team in World Cup final history to have two players dismissed in the same match. West Germany won 1-0 through Andreas Brehme’s penalty.
Marcel Desailly, France vs Brazil, 1998
Marcel Desailly became the third player dismissed in a World Cup final when he was shown a second yellow card in the 68th minute of France’s 3-0 victory over Brazil at the Stade de France. The Chelsea defender had been booked earlier in the match and was sent off for a foul on Cafu.
France were already 2-0 up at the point of the dismissal and went on to win comfortably, meaning Desailly’s red card had less impact on the outcome than those in 1990. It remains the only dismissal in a World Cup final that did not ultimately affect the result.
Zinedine Zidane, France vs Italy, 2006
The most talked-about red card in World Cup final history came in extra time in Berlin, when Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest in the 110th minute. Zidane had opened the scoring with a Panenka penalty in the seventh minute and was one of France’s most important players throughout the tournament.
The dismissal came in what turned out to be the last act of Zidane’s professional career. France went on to lose on penalties, with Italy winning 5-3 in the shootout. Zidane was later awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, despite the red card, in a decision that drew considerable debate at the time.
John Heitinga, Netherlands vs Spain, 2010
John Heitinga was shown his second yellow card in the 109th minute of the 2010 final in Johannesburg, leaving the Netherlands with ten men for the remainder of extra time. The defender had already been booked earlier in the match and was dismissed for a foul on Andres Iniesta.
Spain scored the only goal of the match through Iniesta in the 116th minute to win their first World Cup. Heitinga’s dismissal came just minutes before that goal, and while Spain had dominated for much of the contest, Netherlands’ numerical disadvantage in the closing stages reduced their ability to hold on.
Five red cards in 22 finals
Across the 22 World Cup finals played between 1930 and 2022, only five dismissals have been recorded, all of them coming after 1986 when the modern red card system was firmly established. Argentina’s two dismissals in 1990 account for three of the five red cards across that period.
As the 2026 edition approaches, with the final set to take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, the rarity of these moments is a reminder that most finals are decided by goals rather than controversy. Those following the matches through football odds across the tournament will see the stakes reflected in markets throughout every round, from the group stage all the way to the final itself.