Biggest Football Controversies

Republic of Ireland were making only their third appearance at a World Cup in 2002 in South Korea and Japan. There was a buzz among their fans as the team, who had two Keanes – Roy and Robbie – as their main men were set to take on the world. But then things turned sour. The Football Association of Ireland ...

The 1962 World Cup match between Chile and Italy has gained notoriety for being one of the most violent and lawless football matches ever played. That entire competition was littered with disciplinary infractions, but what happened in the game between the hosts and the Italians took the indiscipline to a whole new level. The stage for the ‘battle’ was set ...

Brazil has always been the land of beautiful football. The nation takes great pride in their team playing an attacking form of the game that values individual expression and goals, plenty of goals, above all else. However, at the 1954 World Cup, it was Hungary that had taken the mantle of being the team that enthralled the world with their ...

If there was one match that summed up Diego Maradona, then Argentina’s quarter-final clash against England at the 1986 World Cup at the Estadio Azetca in Mexico would be it. In the 51st minute of the encounter, Maradona after a typical mazy run from the midfield that saw him go past three English players, played a diagonal pass to Jorge ...

Eduard Streltsov is one of the greatest footballers that the Soviet Union produced. The gifted midfielder, with his ability to dictate play and thread sumptuous passes, was a joy to watch on the field. However, his story went in an unexpected direction in 1958. The handsome footballer was also known for his activities off the pitch. Particularly his womanising ways, ...

Through the course of his long and distinguished career that saw Thierry Henry win almost all the major honours at both club and international level, he had a relatively spot-free record when it came to on-field infractions. Except for that one 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off clash against Republic of Ireland. France had drawn the Irish in their playoff ...

Liverpool versus Manchester United is one of the most hated rivalries in world football. The Reds and the Red Devils are two of the most successful clubs in English football and as success in football – when it comes to two teams in the same league – is a zero-sum game, the venom in rivalry has a legitimate reason (there ...

At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Algeria became the first ever African nation to defeat a European team. They also became the first team from their continent to win two games at a single World Cup. However, all those heroics were not enough to see them make it to the second round of the tournament. Reason? The disgrace of ...

FIFA World Cup is the acme of all footballing competitions. To participate in one is considered the crowning glory of any football player’s career, while winning it makes you immortal – at least in the footballing sense. When the stakes are so high, it is very likely that a line or two might be crossed when two teams are competing ...