The Hand of a God (and a Cheat)
Argentina vs. England, 1986. Diego Maradona, a player of once-in-a-generation genius, leapt for a loose ball against English keeper Peter Shilton. But instead of his head, he used his fist, punching the ball into the net. The referee, looking from a bad
angle, missed it. Maradona later cheekily credited the goal to "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." The audacious act of cheating knocked England out and defined his legacy: divine skill mixed with devilish cunning. Just minutes later, he would score one of the greatest goals in history, proving he could be both a saint and a sinner in the same match.
A Headbutt Heard 'Round the World
It was supposed to be a storybook ending. French legend Zinedine Zidane was playing his final match in the 2006 World Cup final. In extra time against Italy, with the game tied, defender Marco Materazzi said something that provoked him. Zidane turned and delivered a shocking, brutal headbutt to Materazzi's chest, earning an immediate red card. France went on to lose on penalties. Instead of lifting the trophy, one of the game's most graceful players ended his career in disgrace, a walking embodiment of a hero's tragic, inexplicable fall from grace.
When Soccer Became A Brawl
The 1962 World Cup match between host nation Chile and Italy is known by one name: the Battle of Santiago. Before the game even started, Italian journalists had written disparaging articles about Santiago, setting a hostile tone. What followed was less a soccer match and more a 90-minute street fight. The first foul came after 12 seconds; the first of two red cards after 12 minutes. Players spit, punched, and kicked each other. At one point, an Italian player who refused to leave the field had to be dragged off by police. A BBC commentator called it "the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game." He wasn't exaggerating.
The Serial Sinner, Luis Suárez
No list of World Cup villains is complete without Uruguay’s Luis Suárez. In 2010, in the dying seconds of a quarter-final against Ghana, he deliberately used his hands to stop a certain goal. He was sent off, but Ghana missed the resulting penalty, and Uruguay advanced. Suárez celebrated on the sideline like he’d scored the winner. Four years later, he topped himself. In a group stage match against Italy, he inexplicably bit defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder. It was his third biting incident in a professional match. The referee missed it, but FIFA’s disciplinary committee didn't, banning him for months. Suárez's hunger for victory was sometimes a little too literal.
The Referee Who Couldn't Count to Two
Players and fans expect referees to make mistakes, but usually not this basic. In a crucial 2006 group stage match between Croatia and Australia, English referee Graham Poll had a complete mental lapse. He showed a yellow card to Croatian defender Josip Šimunić. Later in the game, he showed him a second yellow—which should have resulted in an automatic red card. But Poll, for reasons unknown, let him stay on. It wasn't until Poll showed Šimunić a *third* yellow card in stoppage time that he finally sent him off. The blunder ended Poll's international career and became a textbook example of losing control.
