PORTUGAL 0-1 FRANCE

Zinedine Zidane will finish his career on the greatest stage of all after his first-half penalty proved enough to take France past Portugal and into the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ Final as 1-0 semi-final winners in Munich on Wednesday, 5 July 2006.

Zidane scored two headers to help France beat Brazil in the 1998 Final and eight years later, in his final match before retiring, he has the chance to bow out with a second winner's medal in Sunday's Final against Italy in Berlin.

France's winning goal came when Thierry Henry went to ground under a Ricardo Carvalho challenge after 33 minutes and Zidane struck his spot-kick low to Ricardo's right. They defended their lead comfortably save for one heart-in-mouth moment in the second half when Fabien Barthez spilled Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick and Luis Figo headed the rebound over.

Portugal, semi-final losers here just as they were in 1966, will contest the play-off for third place with Germany in Stuttgart on Saturday.


RIGHT ON!! DONT YOU JUST LOVE FRANCE :)) __ZINEDINEZIDANE

FRANCE
WILL WIN
THE
WORLD CUP'06!