Most Controversial Moments in World Cup History
By
Blake Roberts
Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 11 January 2023
Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief
Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.
Controversial World Cup Moments
Every four years, the FIFA World Cup pits the top national soccer teams against one another in a competition that captivates roughly half of the global population. This is why when World Cup controversies happen, they send seismic waves across the globe. In this guide, you’ll discover the top 10 scandals in the history of the competition.
- ⚽ World Cup Controversies
- 🔟 Three Yellow Cards to Šimunić, 2006
- 9️⃣ Suarez’s Handball, 2010
- 8️⃣ The Disgrace of Gijon, 1982
- 7️⃣ Schumacher’s Attack, 1982
- 6️⃣Chile vs. Brazil, 1962
- 5️⃣Zinedine Zidane’s Headbutt, 2006
- 4️⃣Argentina’s World Cup Win, 1978
- 3️⃣South Korea’s Run, 2002
- 2️⃣England vs. West Germany Ghost Goal, 1966
- 1️⃣The Hand of God, 1986
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The World Cup and its Controversies
There is perhaps no other sporting event in the world that inspires as many people as the World Cup. The outcomes of the game can have a major effect on the spirits of entire countries for better or for worse, so when FIFA World Cup scandals happen, there can be disastrous consequences.
There have been controversies in the event from the moment it first launched in Uruguay in 1930. Over the years, the event has closely reflected the shifting politics and social changes of the world, and there are now 32 teams that participate up from 13 in its inaugural year.
In recent years, the reactions to the football World Cup controversies have been amplified due to the growing rate of legal sports betting across the globe. There are now dozens of online sportsbooks with soccer that offer odds over the course of the World Cup with a growing base of passionate followers.
When referee decisions are called incorrectly, this can send sports bettors into a fury. At times, the controversies have even had an impact on the way that games are played, making this an incredibly interesting and important topic for fans of soccer and sporting history. So without further adieu, here are the top World Cup controversies.
10. Three Yellow Cards to Šimunić, 2006
This first of our World Cup scandals saw Croatia’s defender Josip Šimunić become the first player to receive three yellow cards in World Cup history. The event took place during a Group F match against Australia that was refereed by Graham Poll. The first card was given in the 61st minute for a foul on Harry Kewell.
The second card was given in the 90th minute for another foul on Harry Kewell. Interestingly, no red card was given yet. In the 93rd minute, Šimunić was booked once again to much surprise. Šimunić was finally given a red card after pushing Poll. The event saw the end of Poll’s international refereeing career, which he later admitted was simply an accident.
9. Suarez’s Handball, 2010
This football World Cup controversy took place at the African World Cup in 2010 in a quarter-final game that saw Ghana facing Uruguay. It looked as though Ghana would become the first African team to reach a semi-final, when Uruguay’s Luis Suarez illegally blocked Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah’s header into the goal with his hands.
Suarez was sent off and the Ghana team was granted a penalty in the 122nd minute. Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan hit the crossbar and missed, with the game going to penalties. Ghana losts the shootout, ending their hopes of World Cup stardom. The controversy is still a raw point for Ghanaians, with locals labeling Suarez as a cheat. Those who partake in World Cup betting will remember this moment.
8. The Disgrace of Gijon, 1982
Of all the FIFA World Cup scandals listed on this page, this may have had the largest impact on the tournament. This 1982 Group 2 match pit West Germany and Austria against one another after West Germany was defeated 2-1 to Algeria in the opening group match. West Germany would need to defeat Austria or face elimination.
However, if Austria were to lose and let in three or more goals, Algeria would qualify in their place. After West Germany scored in the first 10 minutes, the game slowed down to an uneventful match, with the final score at 1-0. This inspired accusations of match fixing against the teams, as both progressed to the second round.
While it was founded that neither team broke any rules, the tournament changed to ensure that the final World Cup group matches would start at the same time to prevent this kind of strategizing.
7. Schumacher’s Hit, 1982
In the same World Cup, West Germany was involved in another major scandal. This took place in the second half of the semifinal against France. The harrowing event saw French defender Patrick Battison race against West Germany’s Harald Schumacher for a long through ball kicked by Michel Platini.
Although Battison reached the ball first, a twisting maneuver saw Battison hit by Schumacher and sent to the ground, unconscious. He suffered three cracked ribs, lost two teeth, and damages his vertebrae in an incident that could have cost him his life. No foul was called and West Germany went on to win the game.
6. Chile vs. Italy, 1962
This is one of the football World Cup controversies that was inflamed by the previously tense relationship between the two competing countries. Called The Battle of Santiago, this Group 2 match saw Chile face Italy. There were already tensions as two years earlier, two Italian journalists called Santiago a dump after Chile was rocked by a 9.5 scale earthquake.
This event was seen as a chance for Chile to take their revenge, and they did. The first foul was committed in 12 seconds and they didn’t stop there. In the 8th minute, Italy’s Giorgio Ferrini had to be escorted off the field for a foul against Honorinoa Landa. Violence continued to mar the game, with punches, kicks, and broken noses a part of the carnage.
Chile would later win 2-0, though both teams were publicly shamed by the sporting world for what was considered to be unsportsmanlike and disgraceful play.
5. Zinedine Zidane’s Headbutt, 2006
In one of the most strange endings to a football career, Zinedine Zidane’s performance in the 2006 World Cup game against Italy has become one of the largest World Cup scandals in history. After a strong performance over the tournament, Zidane announced that he would retire at the conclusion of the event.
The game was leveled as it was about to enter penalties when Zidane was given a red card after being caught on camera headbutting Italy’s Materazzi’s chest. The game went to penalties without Zidane, and France lost. It was later revealed that Materazzi had made rude remarks to Zidane shortly before the incident.
4. Argentina’s World Cup Win, 1978
Argentina’s run in the 1978 World Cup was rife with controversy from the second round and culminated in a tense match. The host team, Argentina’s place in the finals seemed doubtful, with the team needing to beat Peru by four goals to knock out Brazil. The team would then net six goals through Peru’s Argentina-born goalkeeper.
In the final match against the Netherlands, the Dutch team was left on the field alone and forced to face a stadium full of screaming Argentinian fans for ten minutes as Argentina stayed in their lockerroom over time. The Dutch team’s morale was shaken, and Argentina won their first World Cup title by a 3-1 score.
3. South Korea’s Run, 2002
Like Argentina in 1978, South Korea was another host nation that garnered a lot of controversy over its performance. Having never advanced out of a group stage, all eyes were on South Korea to go further than they had before. No one expected the team to advance to the semifinals, which was blamed on match-fixing.
The first dodgy calls were made in the Round of 16 when a referee disallowed an Italian goal and sent off Italy’s Francesco Tottie for diving. South Korea won the game 2-1. In the quarterfinal, the referee disallowed two Spanish goals and repeatedly judged Spain’s attack to be offside. Both referees would then be fired by FIFA for match-fixing.
2. England vs. West Germany Ghost Goal, 1966
Undoubtedly one of the most controversial calls in football history happened in this unforgettable World Cup final game between England and West Germany. With the score 2-2 in the 100th minute, England’s Geoff Hurst took a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced out. It seemed to be a clear miss.
Then, after a brief deliberation between referee Gottfried Dienst and linesman Tofiq Bahramov, the referee awarded England the goal. England would win the trophy at Wembley Stadium to much controversy. Many Germans blamed Bahramov, an Azerbaijan native that was then a part of the USSR, for being biased against the team.
1. The Hand of God, 1986
There are few events in sporting history as storied as Diego Maradona’s Hand of God play in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final game against England. The play happened when an offside Maradona for Argentina punched the ball into England’s net. Maradona immediately celebrated the foul, and the referee and linesman missed the action and declared it a goal.
In a later game, Maradona would score the Goal of the Century after dribbling past the entire England side to kick the ball into a vacant net. Argentina would later win the entire tournament and go down as one of the most controversial figures in football history.
