7 Controversial Events That Shook The World Of Football

The most important competition in international football will take place for the first time in an Arab country and, unusually, during November and December. Due to the high heat, it was decided, that this year's championship will be played on this date, and therefore all league competitions will be suspended from roughly mid-November until the end of the World Cup.

As is the case with major sporting events, they usually bring several controversial moments. We therefore decided to make an overview of some events that football history will not forget. Perhaps we will see similar moments at this year's World Cup

The will of God (1986)

Football star Diego Maradona has entered the hall of fame with his controversial actions and unquestionable talent. A match against England during the quarter-finals of the 1986 Championship added to his legendary status.

Only 6 minutes after the start of the second half, Maradona was alone inside the penalty area. He reacted to a shot on goal by Peter Shelton, who was only twenty centimeters away from the player. Shelton jumped forward with his right hand while Maradona did the same with his left. Opponents complained that they clearly saw Maradona score a goal with his hand. At that time there was no slow motion and there were not as many cameras filming the match. The referees allegedly did not see the action with the hand and recognized the goal. The famous footballer claimed after the game that he hit it "a bit with the head of Maradona and a bit with the hand of God".

Only a few minutes after the controversial shot, Maradona scored another goal, which received the nickname "the goal of the century". The legendary player took care of two moments in one match that went down in the history of sports.

Ferguson vs. Beckham (2003)

In 2003, Manchester United faced their rivals - Arsenal. The well-known coach of the Red Devils, Sir Alex Ferguson, got into a conflict with David Beckham in the dressing room after the loss to the Gunners. "He was about three meters away from me, we were separated by a row of football cleats. As I went to him, I kicked one of them. The shoe hit him right above the eye," the coach recalls in his biography. Ferguson said "Becks" betrayed his team and he can argue all he wants.

The next day, David appeared with stitches above his eye, and the incident became a media sensation. Sir Alex Ferguson claimed in his biography that Beckham's approach was inexcusable. David Beckham has left the club to join Real Madrid.

Zidane's header(2006)

Football star Zinedine Zidane was in form in 2006, which also earned him the Ballon d'Or award for best player. The captain of the French national team was provoked by the Italian defender Marco Materazzi during the championship in 2006.

After a 1:1 draw, the match continued into overtime. In the 110th minute, Zidane walked alongside Materazzi. After verbal cues, he turned to the Italian defender, hit him in the chest with his head, and Materazzi immediately collapsed on the turf. Zinedine Zidane received a red card and ended a stellar career bitterly.

16 years ago today, Zidane was sent off in the World Cup final for THAT headbutt 💥 pic.twitter.com/4ZORv0LSWH

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 9, 2022

Battle of Nuremberg (2006)

The football match between Portugal and the Netherlands during the round of 16 at the 2006 tournament earned the nickname Battle of Nuremberg (or Nuremberg Massacre). Already in the second minute, Dutchman Mark van Bommel received a yellow card for a tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo. The massacre unofficially began with this attack. Referee Valentin Ivanov used four red and sixteen yellow cards for both teams together. Up to twelve players (seven from Portugal and five from the Netherlands) received the card.

Lampard's fake goal (2010)

One of the most memorable moments of Lampard's career came at the 2010 World Cup during a match between Germany and England. Lampard (England) made a great save, shot from the edge of the penalty area. The ball hit the bottom of the crossbar, crossed the line and returned to the court. Nevertheless, the referee waved the game on and Lampard's goal was disallowed.

Referee Jorge Larrionda was reportedly distracted by the tackle that took place in front of his eyes just seconds before Lampard's shot. Assistant referee Mauricio Espinosa was busy watching the German defensive line for possible offsides.

Suarez's bite (2010 – 2014)

Luis Suarez has been accused several times for his uncontrollable behavior as he bit his opponents. The first incident took place during the championship in 2010. Suarez was banned for seven matches for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal on the shoulder.

The second incident took place in 2013 during a match between Liverpool (Suarez) and Chelsea (Branislav Ivanović). Suarez wrestled with the Chelsea defender before clearly sinking his teeth into Ivanovic's hand. He was banned for ten games, apologized on Twitter and Liverpool ordered him to see a psychologist.

The next bite occurred a year later. During the championship in 2014, he bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. Suarez's teeth left a distinct mark on the opponent's shoulder. It was the third incident in a row and the Uruguayan forward received a four-month ban.

#ITAURU #Suarez #bite pic.twitter.com/aFj02IAoiN

— Luis Suarez Bite (@LuisSuarezBite) June 24, 2014