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The biggest scandals in history that have tarnished the World Cup

2026-06-26 16:03:27Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The biggest scandals in history that have tarnished the World Cup

The World Cup is the most watched event on the planet, and with that attention comes controversy.

Some scandals changed the rules of the game forever, others tarnished reputations that were never recovered.

Here are the moments that left the biggest mark, on and off the field.

The Shame of Gijon (1982) – West Germany 1-0 Austria – The rule that changed: simultaneous group finals

Perhaps the most cynical 90 minutes in World Cup history. West Germany needed to beat Austria by a single goal to put both teams ahead at the expense of Algeria.

After an early goal by Germany, both teams played a nearly motionless match until the final whistle, drawing the ire of fans and commentators alike.

FIFA's response was consistent: from 1986 onwards, the final two group matches have started at the same time to prevent this from happening again.

Hand of God (1986) – Diego Maradona scores a handball goal against England – Result: Argentina wins 2-1

In the quarter-final against England, Diego Maradona leapt into the air over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and apparently used his fist to send the ball into the goal.

The referee didn't see it clearly, the goal was allowed and Maradona later attributed it to the "Hand of God". Four minutes later he scored the "Goal of the Century", crossing the English team's half of the pitch before scoring.

Argentina 6-0 Peru (1978) – The hosts get exactly what they needed – The shadow: match-fixing allegations

Argentina needed to beat Peru by four goals to reach the final and won 6-0.

The result has since been accompanied by allegations of match-fixing, fueled by the fact that Argentina at the time was ruled by a military junta hungry for sporting glory.

Nothing was ever proven, but the doubts have never disappeared.

Maradona's failed drug test (1994) – Tested positive for ephedrine – Result: kicked out of the tournament

Maradona's last World Cup ended in disgrace when he tested positive for the banned stimulant ephedrine after Argentina's victory over Nigeria.

He was dropped from the tournament and never played for his country again, a sad end to one of football's most remarkable careers.

Battle of Santiago (1962) – Chile vs. Italy turns into chaos – Two sent off, police on the field

A group match so violent that it is still used for anarchy in football.

The Chile-Italy match featured punches, two sending-offs and repeated police intervention, with an Italian player having to be escorted out after refusing to leave.

A BBC commentator described it as perhaps the most shameful display of football in the history of the game.

Schumacher vs Battiston (1982) – A terrifying semi-final challenge – Decision: no foul called

In the semi-final between France and West Germany, German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher brought down French defender Patrick Battiston, who was knocked unconscious, lost his teeth, and suffered serious injuries.

Surprisingly, no foul was called and Schumacher was not punished at the time.

This remains one of the most notorious unpunished acts in the history of the tournament.

Zidane's header (2006) – Red card in the final – Result: France lost on penalties

One of the greatest players of his generation ended his career with a moment of madness.

In extra time of the final against Italy, Zinedine Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi in the chest after an exchange of words and was sent off.

France lost on penalties and the memorable image of the night was that of Zidane walking past the trophy on his way to the tunnel.

"Goalkeeper" Suarez (2010) – A handball on the goal line denies Ghana a goal – At stake: a place in the semi-finals

Luis Suarez deliberately blocked a Ghanaian player's header over the goal line with his hand in the final seconds of the quarter-final against Uruguay.

He was sent off, but Ghana missed the penalty caused by Suarez and then lost the penalty shootout as well.

Suarez was branded a cheat by his opponents, although he argued that he had simply done what was necessary to keep his team alive.

Corruption in FIFA (off the field) – Corruption arrests and bidding controversies in 2015 – The aftermath: a governing body in crisis

Not every scandal happens on the pitch. In 2015, US authorities indicted a number of senior FIFA officials for bribery, fraud and money laundering, exposing a culture of corruption surrounding tournament hosting rights and television deals.

The consequences reached the top of the organization and cast a long shadow over the bidding processes for many World Cups.

The darkest day of a sport: Andres Escobar (1994) – A tragedy that transcended the boundaries of football

Some moments go far beyond the game. Colombian defender Andres Escobar scored an own goal in a loss to the United States that "helped" his team be eliminated from the 1994 World Cup.

A few days after returning home, he was shot and killed.

This is the most painful reminder of all of how seriously sports can be taken, and it is remembered with sadness rather than scandal.


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