LibraryNowPlayMechanicsMCP

Kinds

Campaign431Product132Food & drink31App & software76Film95Series99Music92Game159Book64Creator moment70Meme & format149Trend & aesthetic46Activity64Moment146
PricingPrivacyTermsRefundsPress
Library/Moment/Zidane's headbutt
Grade B20 sourcesHIS-01626

Zidane's headbutt

Moment · 2006 · Notable

43Editable slideCertificate

Zidane headbutt replays drew over 1.5 million YouTube views in a day.

Zinedine Zidane at the 2006 World Cup final.
David Ruddell, CC BY 2.0
Italy prevail after shoot-out drama | European Qualifiers 2006
UEFA
Zidane
Flickr / Alan (Kaptain Kobold)

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth60Velocity65Longevity743

Numbers

Peak proxy date
Week of Jul 17, 2006
Jul 9 ’06 to Week of Jul 17, 2006
Platforms
6
Started on TV
Origin
Mixed
Sports

Mechanics

  • Response chainPrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

Zidane was sent off and France lost on penalties. Fans rebuilt the headbutt in LEGO, games and videos. An emailed parody became the French chart-topper Coup de Boule; a sculpture later carried the gesture into museums.

Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Google searchesNov ’05Aug ’06Jun ’07Oct ’08Jun ’10Mar ’12Aug ’13Apr ’15Dec ’17Aug ’20Sep ’22Peak proxyTVOpen webAudioPressYouTubeRetail
TVOpen webAudioPressYouTubeRetail

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (16)

  1. July 2006

    Zinedine Zidane seed · Jul 9 ’06

    Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi and was sent off during the World Cup final.[1]

    Italy prevail after shoot-out drama | European Qualifiers 2006
    Open the first post ↗

  2. Alan / Kaptain Kobold platform jump · Jul 9 ’06

    Kaptain Kobold posted a LEGO recreation, saying he uploaded it within 15 minutes of the incident.[2]

    Zidane

  3. French radio / Skyrock platform jump · Week of Jul 10, 2006

    French radio played Coup de Boule after it circulated by email.[3][4][5]

  1. press · Jul 11 ’06

  2. platform jump · Jul 11 ’06

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

or continue with Google

Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

Pro opens the playbook, all 10 sourced numbers and 20 sources. Start with a free account.

Join freeGo Pro · $13/mo
Origin
Mixed
Sector
Sports
Region
DE
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Moment · Reddit · 202562

Kermencement

University of Maryland; The Muppets Studio / Disney

Kermit’s UMD speech spread through TikTok clips, including one with 3.2 million views.

9.6B impressions

1 / 8

  • Kermencement
  • Mike Pence Fly
  • How Dare You
  • Toys "R" Us closure
  • Alex Morgan’s tea-sipping celebration
  • Call Me Caitlyn
  • Jesse Williams' BET Awards Speech
  • Baldur's Gate 3 Bear Scene Reveal

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.