FIFA has suspended Italian defender Marco Materazzi for two games and fined him $4,000 for provoking French captain Zinedine Zidane to head-butt him during the World Cup final.

Both players agreed that Materazzi's insults were defamatory but not of a racist nature, according to FIFA's statement, which did not expand on whether the world governing body will launch a crackdown on players who say mean things to each other.

FIFA fined Zidane $6,000 and suspended him for three games he would not play anyway because he has retired.

Zidane, whose 11 other career red cards included one for stomping on a Saudi during the 1998 World Cup and another for head-butting a German in 2000 Champions League play, has agreed to perform community service work with children.