The beautiful game has often turned ugly, with more than its fair share of controversial and scandalous moments over the years.
We've picked out some of the most notable, taking in disgraceful World Cup incidents, absolutely bizarre goals, and everyone's favourite modern football innovation: VAR.
Let's get straight to it, shall we...?
32. Rivaldo’s play-acting vs Turkey (2002)
In one of the most embarrassing episodes of feigning injury ever seen on a football pitch, Rivaldo disgraced himself by pretending to be struck in the face with the ball by Turkey’s Hakan Unsal – who petulantly kicked it towards the Brazil star in the dying embers of his country’s 2-1 2002 World Cup group stage defeat.
Unsal would surely have received a second yellow card anyway, but Rivaldo’s pathetic behaviour somewhat stained a glorious summer which saw Brazil lift their fifth World Cup (after beating Turkey again in the semi-finals).
31. Tottenham vs Liverpool VAR controversy (2023)
Tottenham’s September 2023 Premier League clash with Liverpool was certainly eventful: it culminated in Spurs beating the nine-man Reds 2-1 through a Joal Matip own goal deep into stoppage time.
It will mainly be remembered, though, for Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal for Liverpool – which was checked by the VAR, who didn’t realise the on-field decision had been to chalk off the strike, and erroneously told the referee to stick with the original call. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was apoplectic, calling for the game to be replayed.
30. Rio Ferdinand's missed drugs test ban (2003)
Early in his second season at Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand missed a routine drugs test at the club’s training ground.
Despite later returning a clean urine sample, the England defender was slapped with an eight-month ban which ruled him out of the rest of the 2003/04 campaign and Euro 2004. It felt a tad harsh, to be honest.
29. Lasagne-gate (2006)
Tottenham went into their final game of the 2005/06 Premier League campaign against West Ham knowing a win would guarantee Champions League qualification at the expense of arch-rivals Arsenal.
The night before, however, 10 Spurs players succumbed to what seemed to be food poisoning after tucking into a lasagne at their hotel. Martin Jol’s side lost 2-1 to the Hammers and missed out on the top four, with an investigation officially putting the illness down to norovirus – not that the conspiracy theorists would agree.
28. Sheffield United relegated from the Premier League (2007)
After going down on the final day of the 2006/07 Premier League season, Sheffield United argued that West Ham should have had a points deduction – which would have seen the Yorkshire side safe.
Why? Well, the Hammers had breached Prem rules due to the third-party ownership of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez – the latter of whom played a key role in keeping them up, including netting the decisive goal in their final-day win at Manchester United.
27. Reading’s ghost goal vs Watford (2008)
“It’s like a UFO landing”: that’s how Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd described the quite astonishing ‘goal’ awarded to Reading in a 2-2 Championship draw at Vicarage Road.
Replays showed that the ball crossed the line – the slight problem being that it did so four yards wide of the post… That’s not how linesman Nigel Bannister saw it, though, raising his flag for a young Stuart Attwell to give John Eustace’s clearance as an own goal.
26. Sam Allardyce’s England tenure (2016)
In July 2016, Sam Allardyce got his dream job as England manager. His reign lasted just 67 days and one game.
Big Sam left by mutual consent that September, after a sting by the Daily Telegraph newspaper filmed him apparently offering advice on how to circumvent FA transfer regulations – in addition to mocking predecessor Roy Hodgson’s speech impediment.
25. The beach ball goal (2009)
Surely the most bizarre goal in Premier League history was scored by Darren Bent to clinch a 1-0 win for Sunderland over Liverpool in October 2009.
Bent’s shot hit a beach ball – which had been thrown onto the pitch by a travelling Reds fan – and completely bamboozled goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who tried to stop the inflatable rather than the actual ball. Per the laws of the game, referee Mike Jones should have disallowed it – but he didn’t.
24. South Korea 2-1 Italy (2002)
Italy exited the 2002 World Cup at the hands of co-hosts South Korea, losing a hugely controversial last 16 tie to Ahn Jung-hwan’s golden goal.
Among the decisions by Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno which incensed the Italians were the disallowing of a seemingly perfectly good golden goal by Damiano Tommasi – and the dismissal of Francesco Totti for an alleged dive when he was nowhere near the incident.
FIFA later investigated Moreno, after he was suspended for 20 games for playing more than twice the signalled minimum amount of injury time in an Ecuadorian league match.
23. Fabio Grosso's dive vs Australia (2006)
En route to winning the 2006 World Cup, Italy benefitted from a… well… kindly awarded penalty against Australia in the last 16.
In stoppage time, Fabio Grosso flung himself over prone Aussie defender Lucas Neill; referee Luis Medina Cantalejo pointed to the spot without hesitation; and Francesco Totti did the business from 12 yards to send the Azzurri through.
22. Luis Garcia’s ghost goal vs Chelsea (2005)
The only goal of the 2005 Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool was Luis Garcia’s contentious strike four minutes into the second leg at Anfield.
It certainly wasn’t clear whether the Spaniard had managed to bundle the ball over the line – and a goal-line technology-style replay by Sky Sports suggested that he hadn’t – but the only view that mattered was that of the officials. The goal stood, and the Reds went on to be crowned champions of Europe for the fifth time in Istanbul.
21. Luis Suarez's biting spree (2010-2014)
You might have to tell a child not to bite; you shouldn’t have to remind a grown man that sinking one’s teeth into another person is very naughty.
It took three disgraceful incidents for Luis Suarez to finally – apparently – get the message. The Uruguayan went all Jaws from James Bond on PSV’s Otman Bakkal – while serving as Ajax captain, no less – Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, receiving bans of seven matches, 10 matches and four months respectively.
20. Barbados 4-2 Grenada (1994)
They escaped punishment as they technically hadn’t broken any rules, but Barbados did something quite sneaky during their crunch 1994 Caribbean Cup qualifier against Grenada.
The competition organisers had implemented a bizarre rule whereby a goal in extra time was not only a golden goal but also counted double – so when Grenada pulled one back to make it 2-1 in the 83rd minute, Barbados – who needed to win by two goals to qualify – deliberately scored an own goal to level the game at 2-2, before triumphing 4-2 via a doubly golden goal.
19. Geoff Hurst's ghost goal (1966)
Geoff Hurst completed the first World Cup final hat-trick to make sure of England’s 4-2 victory over West Germany at Wembley, but there’s no denying that the striker’s second goal – to put the Three Lions 3-2 up – changed the course of the game.
Did the ball cross the line? We’ll never know with 100% certainty, but ‘Russian [actually Azerbaijani] linesman’ Tofiq Bahramov said yes – and Hurst later insisted that it “was at least one metre over the line”.
18. Kuwait’s Sheikh Fahad gets France’s goal disallowed (1982)
France thrashed first-time qualifiers Kuwait 4-1 during the group stage of the 1982 World Cup in Spain – and Les Bleus’ winning margin might have been even bigger if not for the iconic intervention of Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, president of the Kuwaiti FA.
With Kuwait’s platers at a standstill after claiming they’d heard referee Miroslav Stupar blow his whistle (the sound actually came from the crowed), Alain Giresse scored what looked to be France’s fourth goal – but Sheikh Fahad wasn’t having any of it, marching down to the pitch and convincing Stupar to chalk it off.
17. Luis Suarez's handball vs Ghana (2010)
No stranger to controversy, as we’ve seen, Luis Suarez stopped Ghana from becoming the first African World Cup semi-finalists by handling Dominic Adiyiah’s inevitably goal-bound effort on the line. Suarez was sent off, Asamoah Gyan smashed the resulting penalty against the crossbar, and Uruguay advanced by winning the subsequent shootout.
A pariah in Ghana to this day, Suarez offered no apology for his ‘save’ – a misdemeanour made all the more enraging by his visibly gleeful reaction to Gyan’s missed spot-kick.
16. Roy Keane’s tackle on Alfie Haaland (2001)
Roy Keane received a £5,000 fine in addition to the obligatory three-match ban for his sickening straight-red tackle on Alfie Haaland in the April 2001 Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
The United midfielder late claimed in his autobiography that his vicious, knee-high challenge was pre-meditated for criticism levelled at him by the City man – and, despite claiming he had been misleadingly paraphrased by his ghostwriter, he was hit with an additional five-match ban and a whopping £150,000 fine for bringing the game into disrepute.
15. Frank Lampard's ghost goal vs Germany (2010)
If only goal-line technology had been in use when Frank Lampard’s shot crashed against the bar and over the line against Germany in the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup.
Actually, no, it shouldn’t have been needed: it was so clearly a goal that it well and truly boggles the mind to this day how the officials didn’t spot it.
14. Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona (2009)
Rarely do you see a player so profoundly incensed by a referee that they turn to a TV camera and repeatedly seethe, “It’s a disgrace!” – but Didier Drogba, along with his Chelsea teammates, had reached the end of his tether as the Blues bowed out of the 2008/09 Champions League after an infamous semi-final second leg draw with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.
Norwegian official Tom Henning Ovrebo waved away appeals for no fewer than four (seemingly) stonewall Chelsea penalties, and Blues boss Guus Hiddink labelled his performance the worst he’d ever witnessed.
13. Thierry Henry's handball vs Republic of Ireland (2009)
Premier League legend Thierry Henry is not a popular person over on the other side of the Irish Sea – and it’s no mystery why.
With the Republic of Ireland having forced extra time in the second leg of their 2010 World Cup play-off in Paris, William Gallas scored what proved to be the winner for France – only Henry had blatantly kept the ball in play with his hand during the build-up (well, blatantly to everyone bar the officials, it seemed). Henry’s unhesitant admission of what he’d done didn’t make it any easier to digest.
12. Totonero match-fixing scandals (1980s)
A number of clubs across the top two tiers of Italian football were implicated in the Totonero match-fixing scandal, with Serie A giants Milan and Lazio suffering the most severe sanction: relegation to Serie B.
Italy great Paolo Rossi was among a host of individuals punished, serving a two-year ban for his part in the plot involving a betting syndicate attempting to influence the outcome of matches during the 1979/80 season.
Another Totonero (the Italian term for an illegal gambling scheme) was uncovered in 1986, with some of the same clubs found guilty of match-fixing once more – including Lazio.
11. The Battle of Santiago (1962)
The 1962 World Cup group clash between hosts Chile and Italy has gone down in history as one of football’s most violent encounters.
Punches were thrown and the police had to intervene four times as the game descended into anarchy, yet referee Ken Aston somehow only sent off two players (cards had to be introduced to football, but dismiss someone did exist…), one of whom wasn’t Chile’s Leonel Sanchez – who broke Italy’s Humberto Maschio’s nose with a forceful left hook. Oof.
10. The Disgrace of Gijon (1982)
You know the drill: the final round of games in a World Cup group kicks off simultaneously. Standard stuff, right? Not until after 1982 – and this is the match that prompted FIFA to change things.
With the penultimate group fixture having been played the previous day, West Germany and Austria faced off knowing that a German win by one or two goals would see both teams through. So, what happened after West Germany opened the scoring? The encounter stagnated, finishing 1-0 and resulting in both sides advancing – much to the fury of Algeria, who were eliminated as a result.
9. Eric Cantona's kung fu kick (1995)
In January 1995 at Selhurst Park, Eric Cantona unleashed the ultimate Premier League moment of madness.
Taunted by Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons after being sent off, the Manchester United star infamously launched himself into the stands – and landed himself a hefty nine-month ban, as well as a two-week prison sentence initially (this was subsequently overturned).
8. Toni Schumacher wipes out Patrick Battiston (1982)
Toni Schumacher’s collision with Patrick Battiston during the 1982 World Cup semi-final was little less than an assault, with the West Germany goalkeeper knocking out two of the France defender’s teeth and breaking three of his ribs. Referee Charles Corver’s verdict? Goal-kick.
It was a thoroughly sickening incident for which Schumacher showed no remorse – he offered to “pay for the crowns” for Battiston – and found himself voted the most hated man in France, ahead of Adolf Hitler. Oof.
7. Marseille bribery scandal (1993)
In 1993, Marseille became the first French club to win the Champions League, defeating Milan 1-0 in the final. Their triumph would come to be shrouded in controversy, though.
Marseille won their final league match of the season 1-0 away to Valenciennes, securing the Ligue 1 title – but it transpired that club president Bernard Tapie and general manager Jean-Pierre Bernes had bribed multiple Valenciennes players to throw the game, in a nefarious bid to keep Marseille fresh for their big European final.
Marseille were stripped of their domestic title as a result yet – controversially – held onto their continental crown.
6. Zinedine Zidane's headbutt (2006)
Iconic in its own shocking way, Zinedine Zidane’s ferocious headbutt to the chest of Marco Materazzi came to be the defining image of the 2006 World Cup (despite Italy lifting the trophy at France’s expense).
Ten minutes into extra time in the final, his last-ever game as a player, Zizou sent Materazzi crashing to the turf – in retaliation for a crude remark about his sister, he explained. Regardless of the former Ballon d’Or winner’s reasoning, it was one of the most shameful endings to any football career.
5. Calciopoli (2005)
Italian football is, unfortunately, quite accustomed to controversy, and a major one surfaced in the mid-00s: Calciopoli.
Milan and Lazio were involved again, with Juventus most significantly penalised over the scandal concerning clubs allegedly pressuring officials to treat them favourably: Juve were relegated to Serie B and had their 2004/05 and 2005/06 Serie A titles taken away. Meanwhile, a host of individuals implicated in Calciopoli received punishments ranging from fines to prison sentences.
4. Argentina World Cup (1978)
The simple fact that it took place authoritarian military junta-controlled Argentina made the 1978 World Cup controversial – and the hosts’ somewhat suspicious route to victory only intensified that feeling.
Argentina seemed to benefit from some very lenient refereeing throughout the tournament, while their 6-0 triumph over Peru when they needed to win by at least four goals to reach the final felt rather convenient…
3. The Hand of God (1986)
Should referee Ali Bin Nasser or one of his assistants suspected that five-foot-five Diego Maradona would have struggled to win an aerial battle against six-foot Peter Shilton without using his hand? Yes.
Did any of them? As we know, they did not. The most blatant act of individual cheating in football went unpunished – and England went out of the World Cup to old rivals Argentina. At least Maradona didn’t turn people’s attention elsewhere by scoring arguably the greatest goal of all time four minutes later – oh wait.
2. FIFA corruption scandal (2015)
The 2015 FIFA corruption scandal uncovered widespread wrongdoing at the very highest level of the game.
Investigations found, among other indiscretions, that a “disloyal payment” of £1.3m had been made to UEFA president Michel Platini – who was hoping to succeed Sepp Blatter as chief of FIFA. Both men were suspended from football for eight years by FIFA’s Ethics Committee (although these bans were later reduced).
Ex-FIFA president Joao Havelange and head of the Brazilian FA, Ricardo Teixeira, were also found to have accepted bribes worth millions of dollars. All in all, not a good look for world football’s governing body.
1. Qatar World Cup (2022)
Qatar didn’t host the World Cup until 2022 – but the controversy began the moment they were awarded the tournament in 2010.
While ultimately cleared, the Gulf state was accused of bribing FIFA officials in order to secure votes – and Sepp Blatter, FIFA president at the time, later said it was a “bad choice” to stage the tournament there.
Throw in the country’s draconian laws on homosexuality and the deaths of countless migrant workers in the run-up to the event (we might never know the true figure, but the secretary general of the tournament’s organising committee, Hassan Al-Thawadi, put the death toll at between 400 and 500) and the first winter World Cup felt tainted for all sorts of reasons.
