Zidane penalty sees France through

Portugal 0 France 1

Zinedine Zidane’s playing career will end in his second World Cup final after his first-half penalty saw France defeat Portugal 1-0 in a Munich semi-final.

Zidane’s coolly taken first-half spot-kick after a foul by Ricardo Carvalho on Thierry Henry proved enough for Les Bleus to return to the final they won on home soil eight years ago.

This time the final will be against Italy in Berlin on Sunday and millions of people will once more throng the Champs-Elysees on Sunday evening in Paris if Zidane, the 1998 hero, can inspire his team to just one more win in his last match before retirement.

Substitute Louis Saha will miss the final through suspension but Zidane and the other big hitters will all be available after the French withstood some severe Portugal pressure in the dying seconds.