7 Most Controversial Scandals Of World Cup History

The peak of football and unquestionably the world's largest sporting event, the World Cup, will soon explode onto our televisions. Even those like myself, who spend most of the year grumbling about players making ridiculous six-figure weekly salaries and having the pain threshold of infants, get swept up in the wave of excitement. As the world's media converges on one country to watch the gathering of world leaders, they hover like a swarm of vultures, ready to pounce on any misdeeds that may occur.
The most prestigious award in sports is at risk, and with that comes the inevitable appearance of controversy or three. In reality, suspicions regarding the honesty of choosing the emirate of Qatar as tournament host have arisen as recently as this week, forcing organizers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to refute fresh charges of impropriety. In light of this, we've compiled a list of the top seven controversies that erupted during previous World Cups.

1. HAND OF GOD – 1986

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A sore spot for English fans: Diego Maradona's famous "Hand of God" goal was scored with his hand rather than his head but somehow allowed by the referee. Then, just three minutes later, he scored a spectacular goal that was dubbed "Goal of the Century," completely dismantling England's defense in the process.

2. MARADONA FAILS DRUG TEST – 1994

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It was a major debate in history. After testing positive for the banned stimulant ephedrine, Maradona, once again one of the game's biggest idols, was shockingly kicked out of the tournament. After his now-famous wide-eyed celebration of a goal against Greece in the group stage, suspicions were raised. Despite his talent, he would never be selected to play for his country again.

3. FRENCH STRIKE – 2010

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A campaign that saw players and coaches argue angrily, Anelka was sent home for hurling insults at Raymond Domenech, a training boycott, and the eventual resignation of Team Director Jean-Louis Valentin. France had the worst record in the group and received the fewest points. A match nobody will remember.

4. RONALDO FITNESS – 1998

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The events surrounding Ronaldo before 1998 final are still shrouded in mystery. The Brazilian superstar was initially left off the team sheet to play France, but he showed up just before the game. First, it was an ankle injury, then food poisoning, and then it was poison. As it turned out, he had been rushed to the hospital after having a seizure while sleeping, and serious allegations suggested he had been forced to play despite the incident. A score of 3-0 defeated Brazil.

5. ZIDANE HEADBUTT – 2006

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This is the story of the hero's fall from grace. Despite Zidane's significant contribution to France's advancement to the final, he shamed himself in front of millions of viewers worldwide by viciously headbutting Marco Metrazzi, resulting in France playing the rest of the game with a man disadvantage. Italy eventually prevailed on penalties to claim World Cup glory.

6. ARGENTINA GIFTED SIX – 1978

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For the home team to advance past Brazil and into the championship match, they needed to win this game by at least four goals. In their path was Peru, and while they started strongly, they eventually gave up and allowed Argentina to cruise through with a 6-0 victory. The fact that Peru's goalkeeper, Ramon Quirgoa, was born in Argentina only added fuel to the fire of those who claimed the game was fixed.

7. WORLD CUP 2002 SCANDAL

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After two controversially disallowed Spanish goals in their match against South Korea, Iván Helguera called it "a robbery," and the Spanish press branded the officials "thieves of dreams," even though FIFA brushed it off as a human error.