The FIFA World Cup has always been a stage where brilliance and controversy coexist. No player embodied that duality better than Diego Maradona in the 1986 quarterfinal against England.
The Argentine opened the scoring with the most infamous goal in football, attributing it to the "Hand of God" before, four minutes later, dribbling past five England players and goalkeeper Peter Shilton to score the "Goal of the Century". Together, the two moments serve as a microcosm of the World Cup itself, capable of producing football's greatest feats and its most enduring controversies.
From Zinedine Zidane's shocking headbutt in the 2006 final to Luis Suárez's infamous Bite Gate, here is a look at some of the most controversial moments in World Cup history.
Zinedine Zidane's Headbutt (2006 Final)
The 2006 World Cup final between France and Italy was meant to be the perfect farewell for Zinedine Zidane, who came out of international retirement to lead Les Bleus one last time.
The French playmaker produced a series of dazzling performances in the knockout rounds and even put France ahead in the final with an audacious Panenka penalty past Gianluigi Buffon. Marco Materazzi then equalised for Italy, as the match drifted into extra time with the score locked at 1-1.
Then came one of the most shocking moments in World Cup history. In the 110th minute, after Materazzi repeatedly tugged at Zidane's shirt, the Frenchman is reported to have sarcastically told the defender that he could have his jersey after the match. Materazzi later admitted he responded with an insult directed at Zidane's sister. Moments later, Zidane turned and drove his head into Materazzi's chest, sending the Italian crashing to the turf.
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The incident was not spotted by the match referee in real time but was brought to his attention by the officiating team, resulting in a straight red card for Zidane. France went on to lose the penalty shootout, while the image of Zidane walking past the World Cup trophy on his way to the dressing room became one of the defining images of the tournament and brought an abrupt end to one of football's greatest careers.
Frank Lampard's 'Ghost Goal' (2010 Round Of 16)
England's meeting with Germany at the 2010 World Cup produced one of the most glaring officiating errors in tournament history.
Trailing 2-1, Frank Lampard unleashed a long-range volley that beat goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, hit the underside of the crossbar and clearly crossed the goal line before bouncing back into play. Despite television replays showing the ball was well over the line, neither the referee nor the assistant referee spotted the infringement and play was allowed to continue.
Germany went on to win 4-1, but the controversy had a lasting impact. The incident became a major catalyst for the introduction of Goal-Line Technology, ending years of resistance to technological assistance in football.
Luis Suárez's Goal-Line Handball (2010 Quarterfinal)
Few moments have generated as much debate as Luis Suárez's intervention against Ghana in the 2010 quarterfinals.
With the score tied in the final seconds of extra time, Ghana appeared destined to become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal. Dominic Adiyiah's header was heading into the net when Suárez deliberately used his hands on the goal line to block it.
The Uruguay striker was sent off and Ghana were awarded a penalty. However, Asamoah Gyan struck the crossbar, sending the match to a shootout, which Uruguay won. Suárez was even seen celebrating wildly in the tunnel when Gyan missed from the spot.
For many, Suárez denied Africa a historic achievement. Others simply argued that the player accepted the punishment for breaking the rules and ultimately benefited from Ghana's missed penalty.
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Luis Suárez's Bite Gate (2014 Group Stage)
Four years later, Suárez found himself at the centre of another World Cup scandal.
During Uruguay's decisive group-stage clash against Italy, television cameras captured the striker biting defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during an off-the-ball altercation. Match officials failed to spot the incident at the time, and no card was shown.
Uruguay went on to win the match and progress to the knockout stages, but FIFA later reviewed the footage and handed Suárez a nine-match international suspension along with a four-month ban from all football-related activities.
The episode remains one of the strangest incidents ever witnessed at a World Cup.
Diego Maradona's 'Hand Of God' (1986 Quarterfinal)
Arguably the most famous controversy in football history occurred during Argentina's quarterfinal against England at the 1986 World Cup.
With the game goalless, Diego Maradona leaped to challenge England goalkeeper Peter Shilton for a high ball and used his left hand to punch it into the net. The officials failed to spot the infringement and awarded the goal.
Maradona later described it as being scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God", creating a phrase that has since become part of football folklore.
What made the episode even more remarkable was that just minutes later, Maradona scored what was in 2002 voted as the "Goal of the Century.” Maradona picked up the ball inside his own half before dribbling past multiple England players and goalkeeper Peter Shilton to score one of the greatest goals ever seen.
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