5 Most Controversial Moments In FIFA World Cup

The most watched game in the entire world, Football, is tainted with many controversies on and off the field. It is mainly the result of the immense emotions that this game holds both for players and for the fans. It is also the result of clashes between players on the field. The FIFA World Cup is possibly the biggest sporting event in the world. The players play for the honor of their country; the fans support their country with full zest and the stakes are higher than usual. With such an adrenaline rush, mistakes are bound to happen and in turn, controversies are a by-product. Here is a list of top 5 most ‘Controversial Moments’ in FIFA World Cup. The Hand of God In the World Cup 1986, Argentina took on England in Mexico City in the Quarter Final. In the 51st minute, the ball was in the English box. English goalkeeper Peter Shilton and Argentina striker Diego Maradona jumped for the ball for which the Englishman had an eight-inch advantage. Maradona, somehow, reached for the ball and scored a goal. Argentina won the match by 2-1. It is said that Maradona used his hand to score the goal and when asked about it, he said, “A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the Hand of God” Photo evidence shows that there was no ‘hand’ involved. Battle of Nuremberg (2006) Portugal v the Netherlands Remembered as the match in which the referee handed out record 16 Yellow Cards and 4 Red Cards, this match between Portugal and Netherlands was one of the most brutal matches of all time. The Netherlands had beaten Serbia and Montenegro and Cote d’Ivoire in the group stages and drawn with Argentina to qualify for the round of 16. Portugal, on the other hand, had defeated Angola, Iran and Mexico to secure their place in the round of 16. Netherlands set the tone on the match when in the second minute itself, Marco von Bommel got a yellow card for a foul on Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal, also, did not stay silent and answered with similar if not equal stance. Portugal ended up winning the match by the goal scored by Maniche. The Russian referee ‎Valentin Ivanov‎ had no control over the playes and things were going worse by the second. The FIFA President at the time, Sepp Blatter, said Ivanov "should have given himself a yellow card for his poor performance during the match." Zinedine Zidane headbutt to Marco Materazzi This was an incident of trash talk between two players on the field during the World Cup Final in 2006 in Berlin. French football star, Zinedine Zidane, headbutt in the chest to Italian footballer Marco Materazzi after he insitigated Zidane by passing remarks about his mother and sister. Months later, Materazzi accepted that he passed those remarks. The match was won by Italy on penalties but this incident will always be remembered. Suarez saves the day! Having the reputation of being one of the most controversial figures in world football, Luis Suarez emerged as the saviour for Uruguay in the 2010 edition of the FIFA World Cup as he prevented a certain goal in the last minute by stopping the ball with his hand. He was given a red card for it and was sent off. What followed was a penalty shootout but Uruguay won the match by 4-2. Many claim that was Suarez did was instinctive and labeling him as a cheat would be a little too much to say. Suarez bites in 2014 Uruguay striker Luis Suarez bit Italy’s defender Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s final 2014 group game. Such an incident has occurred for the third time in his career. He was banned for 9 games that followed and eventually missed the entire World Cup. He was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs (£65,680) for the same. Suarez in his defense told the Uruguayan television: "These are just things that happen out on the pitch. It was just the two of us inside the area and he bumped into me with his shoulder." Uruguay eventually beat Italy 1-0.