The Stage for a Scandal
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, was full of surprises. One of the biggest was the incredible run of the South Korean national team. Buoyed by fervent home support, they navigated their group and prepared for a Round of 16
showdown against Italy. Italy, a traditional soccer superpower, were the heavy favorites. They were a team of superstars, including Francesco Totti, Christian Vieri, and Paolo Maldini. The match, set in Daejeon, was expected to be a classic David vs. Goliath story, but no one could have predicted it would be remembered for the man in the middle: a little-known referee from Ecuador named Byron Moreno.
A Cascade of Questionable Calls
The controversy began just five minutes into the game. Moreno awarded South Korea a highly debatable penalty kick, which was ultimately saved by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. While that call didn’t change the score, it set a bizarre tone. For the rest of the match, Moreno’s officiating seemed wildly inconsistent. He ignored brutal-looking South Korean tackles, including an elbow that left an Italian defender with a bloodied nose, yet was quick to penalize the Italians for lesser infractions. The game was chippy and aggressive, but the feeling grew among players and viewers that the rules were being applied in only one direction. Christian Vieri eventually gave Italy the lead, but the sense of unease was palpable.
The Totti Red Card
With the score tied 1-1 late in extra time, the match’s most notorious moment arrived. Italy’s superstar playmaker, Francesco Totti, dribbled into the South Korean penalty area and was brought down by a defender. To the astonishment of everyone watching, instead of awarding a penalty to Italy, Moreno showed Totti a second yellow card—and thus a red card—for diving. It was a staggering decision. Replays clearly showed Totti had been tripped and had not tried to simulate a foul. Down to ten men and deprived of their best player for a phantom offense, the Italians were now on the back foot, fuming at what they saw as a gross injustice.
The Golden Goal That Wasn't
Minutes after Totti’s expulsion, the controversy deepened. Italy appeared to have won the match when Damiano Tommasi broke through the defense and scored what should have been the “golden goal” to end the game. But as the Italian players celebrated, they saw the linesman’s flag was up. Moreno disallowed the goal for a razor-thin, and likely incorrect, offside call. It was the final straw. The Italians felt the game was being stolen from them. Their protests were waved away, and moments later, South Korea’s Ahn Jung-hwan scored a dramatic header, winning the match 2-1 and sending the co-hosts through to the quarterfinals while eliminating the Azzurri in a blaze of fury.
The Legend of Byron Moreno
The fallout was immediate and immense. The Italian press and public cried conspiracy, accusing FIFA of wanting a co-host to advance for the good of the tournament. While those claims were never proven, Moreno’s career spiraled. He was suspended for 20 matches in his native Ecuador for his conduct in a domestic game shortly after the World Cup. After a brief return, he was suspended again and retired from refereeing. His infamy was cemented in 2010 when he was arrested at New York’s JFK Airport for attempting to smuggle heroin strapped to his body. For soccer fans, the news was a dark, almost comical postscript to the story of the man they believed had single-handedly robbed Italy of a World Cup shot.
