FIFA World Cup: Three Biggest Controversies Over the Years

Football fans have long memories. A player can score a hundred of brilliant goals, but miss an open net in a final and that's what goes on the tombstone. The same goes for the World Cup itself. The tournament is celebrated for its moments of genius, but let's be honest: we absolutely love to talk about the controversies.

There are certain moments in World Cup history that are so wild, so blatantly wrong, that they literally forced the sport to change its rules.

Maradona's Hand Of God in 1986 WC

You can't talk about World Cup scandals without heading straight to the blistering heat of Mexico in 1986. Argentina versus England in the quarter-finals. The ball popped up in the English penalty box, and Diego Maradona who stood at just 5-foot-5 leapt up alongside England's 6-foot-1 goalkeeper, Peter Shilton. Somehow, Maradona got to it first and the ball ended up in the net. Replays showed exactly how: he just punched it in. The Tunisian referee missed it entirely.

After the game, Maradona cheekily told reporters the goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God." The sheer audacity of it still boils English blood. Four minutes later, he dribbled past half the England team to score the
"Goal of the Century," proving in a matter of moments that he was both a shameless cheat and a generational genius.

Refereeing Horrors in the Semi-Final of 1982 WC

Then you have moments that cross the line from bad refereeing to outright assault. In the 1982 semi-final, French substitute Patrick Battiston chased a through ball toward the West German goal. German keeper Harald "Toni" Schumacher came rushing out, ignored the ball entirely, jumped, and launched his hip squarely into Battiston's face. Battiston was knocked out cold on the pitch, lost two teeth, and slipped into a temporary coma. The referee's decision? A goal kick. No foul. No card. Nothing.

The Ghost Goal of Geoff Hurst in 1966 FIFA World Cup

But if we're talking about English grievances, we have to talk about their greatest triumph. The 1966 World Cup final against West Germany gave us the most debated goal in the history of the sport. Tied 2-2 in extra time, Geoff Hurst blasted a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced straight down onto the goal line, and spun out. The referee wasn't sure, but his Soviet linesman signalled a goal. Did all of the ball cross all of the line? Modern VAR would have probably ruled out the goal, but the goal stood, and England won 4-2.

It's easy to get frustrated looking back at these moments, but they are the exact reasons we have Goal-Line Technology and VAR today. Football had to evolve because the stakes were simply too high to leave to human error. But even with modern tech ironing out the mistakes, the legends of the Hand of God and the Ghost Goal will be debated in pubs until the end of time.