The Biggest World Cup Controversies – Murder and Mayhem

From Luis Suarez taking a chunk out of an opponent in 2014 to a Columbian being murdered for scoring an own goal, the FIFA World Cup has provided plenty of talking points and downright scandals. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest World Cup controversies from history and examine their impact on the tournament and the beautiful game.

Although concentrating on the controversies at the World Cup tournament itself, we also include some off-field scandals and let you know why the staging of the World Cup in the USA in 1994 caused such a worldwide stink.

• US at the World Cup
• Player Scandals
• Team Controversies
• Conclusion

America’s World Cup – 1994

The hosting of the World Cup in the USA should have been a watershed moment for soccer fans in the US. The world’s biggest sporting tournament would grace the sports stadia for the first time. The hope was US citizens would embrace the tournament and finally join the so-called ‘world football family’. The result was wildly different.

Unfortunately, the US is world renown for its lax firearms laws. The first of our FIFA World Cup scandals involves the shooting of a player who performed badly at the very same 1994 tournament. There is a famous quote from legendary Scottish coach Bill Shankly. “Some people think football [soccer] is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.” For Andres Escobar, it was.

Murdered for Scoring an Own Goal

Scoring an own goal at any time is unfortunate and accidental. It certainly shouldn’t get you murdered by a Columbian drugs cartel. But this is what happened to Andres Escobar who had made the error when playing in the 1994 tournament against the USMNT at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, a result which meant Columbia were out of the tournament.

Escobar was shot 12 times outside a nightclub in Medellin, Colombia, by members of a drug cartel who were unhappy with his own goal and the team’s poor performance at the World Cup. His death shocked the world and brought attention to the problem of violence in Colombia.

To this day, Escobar is remembered as a fallen hero and a symbol of the country’s struggle with violence and corruption. It should be noted that since that incident, no Columbian player has been credited with scoring an own goal at any subsequent World Cup tournaments.

USA Announced as Hosts in 1994

Way before soccer became popular in the US or gambling in California became a question, one of the biggest FIFA World Cup controversies sent shockwaves and outrage around the footballing community.

The reason was FIFA’s decision to allow the USA to stage the 1994 tournament with games played from California to New York and beyond. The main grievance was the fact the US is not a traditional ‘soccer’ playing nation.

In the end, the detractor’s fears of poorly attended games, public apathy and the host nation being unable to compete at the highest level were borne out. Subsequent hosting decisions such as South Africa, South Korea/Japan and Qatar have followed this trend but at the time this was a huge World Cup controversy.

Player Controversies and Scandals at the World Cup

Although soccer is a team game, it is the individuals who generally cause the most controversies for various types of behavior once they cross that white line. Below we reveal some of the more surprising football World Cup controversies which set the public talking when they occurred. They all involve cheating or violence – the two topics certain to turn any incident into a bona fide World Cup scandals.

Suarez Bites into an Italian

The mercurial Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez has cut a controversial figure throughout his career from the streets of Montevideo to Europe and then to one of the biggest world cup scandals when the following incident happened in the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

Desperate to get his team back in the quarter final tie against Italy, Suarez decided to show his teeth and take a bite out of his opponent – Giorgio Chiellini. The hungry marksman was subsequently sent off the field and faced a long ban from all football competitions.

You can’t blame Suarez for biting Chiellini. He sounds delicious.

— Arena Flowers (@ArenaFlowers) June 24, 2014

Remarkably, it was not the first time the striker had been penalized for using his teeth to injure opposing players. It happened once while he was playing in the Netherlands and again in a Premier League game when at Liverpool against Chelsea.

God Gives Maradona a Helping Hand

Outside the US, the world calls it football. Using your hand when the ball is in play is a clear and obvious infringement. Our next football World Cup controversy centers on the enigmatic Diego Maradona. Playing against England in the quarter-final of the 1986 tournament in Mexico, Maradona not only cheated with a handball but scored the vital goal in the match. As a ball looped up in the penalty area, both Maradona and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton jumped to get the first touch. Remarkably, the ball ended up in the back of the net with Maradona claiming a headed goal. Despite protests, the goal stood, and Argentina went on to win the game.

It has become one of the biggest controversies because TV replays clearly show Maradona punching the ball into the net. When asked about his vital involvement after the game, Maradona simply said the goal was scored by the ‘Hand of God‘.

German Keeper Nearly Kills Opponent

When watched in real time, the brute force which with German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher careered into France defender Patrick Battiston left viewers worried for the player’s life. It has become one of the most reviewed and analyzed of all the world cup controversies.

The incident occurred during the 1982 World Cup semi-final match between France and West Germany. In the 57th minute, Battiston made a run towards the goal, when Schumacher came out of the goal and collided with Battiston, knocking him unconscious. The referee did not call a foul and the play continued.

Battiston suffered a broken collarbone, three cracked ribs, and damage to his vertebrae, he was also in a coma for several days. The incident caused widespread horror and Schumacher faced criticism for his actions. Schumacher later apologized for the incident and Battiston has forgiven him as well.

The Headbutt Final

The 2006 World Cup Final between France and Italy was controversial for an incident involving French midfielder Zinedine Zidane. In the 110th minute of the match, with the score tied at 1-1, Zidane headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest. Zidane was sent off the field, resulting in him missing the penalty shootout. Italy went on to win the match and the World Cup.

Zidane later explained that Materazzi had said something insulting to him which provoked him to react that way. Materazzi admitted that he did say something to Zidane, but it was not racist. He said that he insulted Zidane’s sister.

The incident was widely covered in the media and was considered a black mark on Zidane’s career, as he was universally regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. However, it has also been noted that it was an out-of-character action for Zidane, who had a reputation for being a calm and composed player.

Team Controversies and FIFA Scandals

To round things up we’ll be looking at some of the incidents involving teams and how they caused a scandal. There are some events that don’t fall into any particular category but should be listed among the biggest World Cup controversies — perhaps you’ll learn a thing or two about sports betting in the United States.

The Shame of Gijon: The 1982 Disgrace

The “Shame of Gijon” refers to a match between West Germany and Austria during the 1982 World Cup. The match was played on the final day of the group stage, and a win for West Germany would ensure that both teams advanced to the next round at the expense of Algeria.

In the final minutes of the match, with the score at 1-0 in favor of West Germany, both teams appeared to stop trying to score, with the players passing the ball back and forth without much intent. The match ended 1-0, and both teams advanced, while Algeria was eliminated.

While within the laws of football and the tournament, football World Cup controversies like this are seen as very much against the spirit of the beautiful game. FIFA later changed the tournament format to avoid such manipulation of the results.

Cheating Goalkeeper Banned for Life

Roberto Rojas, a Chilean soccer player, was banned by FIFA for life in 1989 after he was involved in a controversial incident during a World Cup Qualifying match between Chile and Brazil. In the 89th minute of the match, with Brazil leading 1-0, Rojas fell to the ground claiming to have been hit by a flare thrown by the Brazilian fans. The match was then abandoned, and it was later revealed that Rojas had actually cut himself with a razor blade to simulate the injury, in attempt to get the match canceled and the result nullified.

FIFA found Rojas guilty of fraud and banned him for life from all international soccer competitions. This incident remains one of the most shameful moments in Chilean soccer history.

Ronaldo Misses 1998 Final and then Plays

In the 1998 tournament in France, Brazil was helped to the final by their talismanic striker and best player in the world at the time – Ronaldo. It was hard to know whether the following counts as a World Cup controversy, shock, or scandal but it certainly rocked the football world.

Just hours before the game, it was announced that Ronaldo would not be participating due to a mysterious illness. There was huge media speculation in the hours before the game as to the true reason for his absence.

Some believed that it was due to a panic attack or a knee injury, while others thought it was because of pressure from sponsors or a disagreement with the team’s coach. The true reason for Ronaldo’s absence was never officially disclosed.

Just minutes before the final line-ups were announced, it was revealed that Ronaldo would be playing after all. Unfortunately, the player was below par throughout the contest and the best player of his generation failed to help his team beat the host, France.

Conclusion

So, there we have the most scandalous World Cup controversies of all time in our opinion. Being a subjective subject, readers from certain countries will have other ideas and things they believe should make the list. If we had to absolutely pick our biggest World Cup controversy of all time, it would have to be poor Andres Escobar – fatally shot on purpose for a simple footballing accident.