The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of skill, passion, and national pride. But it’s also a high-stakes pressure cooker where human error, questionable decisions, and outright cheating can lead to moments of intense controversy that ignite global debate and leave a lasting stain on the tournament’s history. These incidents become infamous, forever debated by fans and pundits alike.

From blatant handballs and shocking refereeing blunders to violent fouls and political interference, World Cup controversies remind us that the beautiful game isn’t always played fairly. These moments spark outrage, fuel conspiracy theories, and sometimes, even alter the course of football history. They are the scandals and injustices that rocked the world.

Relive 15 of the most notorious World Cup controversies in history:

1. Maradona’s “Hand of God” (Argentina vs. England, 1986)

The most infamous controversy of them all. In the quarter-final, Argentine captain Diego Maradona leaped for a high ball with England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and punched the ball into the net. Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur missed the handball and awarded the goal, later dubbed the “Hand of God” by Maradona himself. Minutes later, Maradona scored arguably the greatest goal ever, but the handball remains a source of eternal debate and English grievance.

2. Schumacher’s Assault on Battiston (West Germany vs. France, 1982)

During the dramatic semi-final known as the “Night of Seville,” French substitute Patrick Battiston raced clear on goal. German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher charged out and violently collided with Battiston, knocking him unconscious, breaking teeth, and damaging vertebrae. Incredibly, Dutch referee Charles Corver awarded only a goal kick and Schumacher faced no punishment, later saving penalties in the shootout victory. A truly shocking and brutal incident.

3. Geoff Hurst’s “Ghost Goal” (England vs. West Germany, 1966)

In the World Cup final at Wembley, with the score tied 2-2 in extra time, England’s Geoff Hurst fired a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down. Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst awarded the goal after consulting with Soviet linesman Tofiq Bahramov, who indicated it had crossed the line. German players protested vehemently, and photographic/video evidence remains inconclusive to this day. Hurst later completed his hat-trick, but the legitimacy of the crucial third goal is still debated.

4. Lampard’s Disallowed Goal (England vs. Germany, 2010)

Decades after 1966, technology still hadn’t arrived. England trailed Germany 2-1 in the Round of 16 when Frank Lampard’s long-range shot struck the bar, bounced clearly over the line, and spun back out. Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda waved play on, denying England a clear equalizer. Germany went on to win 4-1, and the incident became a major catalyst for the introduction of goal-line technology.

5. Rivaldo’s Theatrics vs. Turkey (Brazil vs. Turkey, 2002)

Near the end of a tense group match, Turkey’s Hakan Ünsal kicked the ball towards Brazil’s Rivaldo, who was waiting to take a corner. The ball hit Rivaldo’s leg, but he dramatically collapsed clutching his face. Ünsal was sent off. Replays showed the simulation, and Rivaldo was later fined by FIFA for his play-acting, though the red card stood, helping Brazil secure a controversial win.

6. The “Battle of Santiago” (Chile vs. Italy, 1962)

Perhaps the most violent match in World Cup history. Fueled by inflammatory pre-match articles in the Italian press insulting Chile, the game descended into chaos. Kicks, punches, and spitting were rampant from the start. Italy’s Giorgio Ferrini was sent off after eight minutes but refused to leave for several minutes, requiring police intervention. Mario David was later sent off for a karate kick. English referee Ken Aston struggled to maintain control in an atmosphere of pure hostility. Chile won 2-0, but the match became infamous for its brutality.

7. Graham Poll’s Three Yellow Cards (Croatia vs. Australia, 2006)

As mentioned in weird facts, English referee Graham Poll endured a nightmare moment. He booked Croatia’s Josip Šimunić, then later showed him a second yellow card but forgot to issue the red. Šimunić continued playing until Poll showed him a third yellow card near the end of the match, finally sending him off. Poll retired from international refereeing shortly after the tournament.

8. Luis Suárez’s Handbal vs. Ghana (Uruguay vs. Ghana, 2010)

In the dying seconds of extra time in the quarter-final, with the score 1-1, Ghana seemed certain to score the winner until Uruguay striker Luis Suárez deliberately blocked Dominic Adiyiah’s header on the goal line with his hands. Suárez was sent off, but Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, hitting the crossbar. Uruguay won the subsequent shootout, denying Ghana a historic semi-final spot. Suárez became a villain in Africa but a hero in Uruguay.

9. Byron Moreno’s Refereeing (South Korea vs. Italy, 2002)

Italy’s Round of 16 exit to co-hosts South Korea was marred by highly controversial refereeing from Ecuadorian Byron Moreno. He awarded South Korea an early penalty, controversially sent off Francesco Totti for diving (when replays suggested a penalty appeal was valid), and wrongly disallowed a potential golden goal winner for Italy by Damiano Tommasi for offside. These decisions fueled accusations of bias towards the hosts.

10. Gamal Al-Ghandour’s Refereeing (South Korea vs. Spain, 2002)

Just days later, Spain felt similarly aggrieved in their quarter-final loss to South Korea (on penalties). Egyptian referee Gamal Al-Ghandour and his linesmen disallowed two seemingly legitimate Spanish goals during the match (one for a supposed foul, one for the ball allegedly going out of play before a cross, which replays contradicted). The decisions again raised questions about officiating favouring the co-hosts.

11. Kuwaiti Sheikh Enters Pitch to Disallow Goal (Kuwait vs. France, 1982)

Trailing France 3-1, Kuwaiti players stopped playing when they heard a whistle from the crowd, allowing Alain Giresse to score France’s fourth. The Kuwaiti team protested vehemently, claiming they thought the referee had blown. In an unprecedented move, Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, president of the Kuwaiti FA, came down from the stands onto the pitch to argue with Soviet referee Miroslav Stupar. Incredibly, Stupar disallowed the goal! France eventually scored a legitimate fourth goal later.

12. Clive Thomas Blows Whistle Before Zico Scores (Brazil vs. Sweden, 1978)

In the dying seconds of the group match, with the score 1-1, Brazil took a corner. Zico headed the ball into the net, seemingly winning the game. However, Welsh referee Clive Thomas claimed he had blown the final whistle while the ball was in the air from the corner kick, disallowing the goal. A bizarre and highly controversial interpretation of timing.

13. The “Disgrace of Gijón” (West Germany vs. Austria, 1982)

In the final group match, West Germany and Austria knew that a 1-0 win for West Germany would see both teams qualify for the next round at the expense of Algeria, who had played their final match the day before. After West Germany scored in the 10th minute, the rest of the match descended into a farce, with both teams passively kicking the ball around with no intention of scoring, ensuring the mutually beneficial result. The blatant collusion led FIFA to change rules so that final group matches are played simultaneously.

14. Beckham’s Red Card vs. Argentina (England vs. Argentina, 1998)

With the score 2-2 early in the second half, Argentina’s Diego Simeone fouled England’s David Beckham. While lying on the floor, Beckham petulantly flicked his leg out at Simeone, who made the most of it. Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen showed Beckham a straight red card. While Beckham’s reaction was foolish, many felt Simeone provoked it and exaggerated the contact. England, down to 10 men, eventually lost on penalties, and Beckham became a national scapegoat.

15. Zidane’s Headbutt (France vs. Italy, 2006)

In the final act of his legendary career, French captain Zinedine Zidane inexplicably headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest during extra time of the World Cup final. He was sent off after the fourth official reportedly saw the incident on monitors. France went on to lose the penalty shootout. It later emerged Materazzi had verbally provoked Zidane, but the headbutt remains one of the most shocking and iconic images in World Cup history.

These controversies, ranging from clear cheating to debatable decisions and moments of madness, are an indelible part of the World Cup’s dramatic narrative.

Sources:

• Hand of God: Wikipedia (Argentina v England 1986), FIFA.com
• Schumacher/Battiston: Wikipedia (Night of Seville), The Guardian
• Hurst Goal 1966: Wikipedia (Geoff Hurst), BBC Sport
• Lampard Goal 2010: BBC Sport, The Guardian
• Rivaldo Dive 2002: BBC Sport, Wikipedia (Rivaldo)
• Battle of Santiago 1962: Wikipedia (Battle of Santiago), BBC News
• Poll 3 Yellows 2006: BBC Sport, Wikipedia (Graham Poll)
• Suárez Handball 2010: BBC Sport, The Guardian
• Moreno Refereeing 2002: The Guardian, Wikipedia (Byron Moreno)
• Al-Ghandour Refereeing 2002: The Guardian, BBC Sport
• Kuwaiti Sheikh 1982: Wikipedia (1982 FIFA World Cup), LA Times
• Clive Thomas Whistle 1978: The Guardian, Wikipedia (Clive Thomas)
• Disgrace of Gijón 1982: Wikipedia (Disgrace of Gijón), ESPN
• Beckham Red Card 1998: BBC Sport, Wikipedia (David Beckham)
• Zidane Headbutt 2006: BBC Sport, Wikipedia (Zinedine Zidane)
• General Controversy Lists: Bleacher Report, FourFourTwo, Goal.com