6 Controversial World Cup Incidents, Including Diego Maradona and Luis Suarez

Throughout the history of the World Cup , there have been a number of events that have caught the eye. It’s not just the moment of victory that needs attention, the drama and controversy are no less interesting.

A number of controversial events that can occur on and off the field. It could even happen again at the 2022 World Cup which will take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18 this year.

Related: 10 Arsenal Players Who Wear The Number 9 Before Gabriel Jesus, Has Anyone Succeeded?

Related: Captain List of 32 Countries Participating in the 2022 World Cup

Diego Maradona (Argentina) and Luis Suarez (Uruguay) are two names that have sparked controversy at the World Cup. In fact, both of them did it in two different editions of the World Cup.

Maradona did so in the 1986 and 1994 editions, known as the Hand of God incident and was subsequently kicked out of the World Cup for drugs. Then Luis Suarez’s bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup went viral around the world.

Not only these two superstars who did controversial things during the World Cup. Here are 6 controversial World Cup incidents that are remembered today.

Maradona’s Hand of God Goal (1986)

Diego Maradona has acted controversially at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico in the quarter-finals against England. Even now, the goal is still a debate and makes British people heartbroken when they remember it.

The Argentinian scored with his hands and knocked England out of the World Cup. The referee and his assistant still approved the goal despite the England players protesting on the pitch.

In this match, Maradona also scored the second goal in a fantastic way because he was able to get past five to six English players alone. Argentina finally came out as champions in this edition after beating West Germany in the final match.

Luis Suarez Becomes a “Goalkeeper” and Bites Players (2010, 2014)

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has buried Ghana’s dream of becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Suarez deliberately used his hands so that Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah’s header was not scored in the last minute of extra time.

The referee then pointed to the penalty spot. But unfortunately Asamoah Gyan failed to score from the penalty spot and even Ghana had to lose to Uruguay in the high-fives round.

Four years later or at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Luis Suarez made another controversial move. He deliberately bit the shoulder of Italian player Giorgio Chiellini which made the incident go viral all over the world.

FIFA Kick Diego Maradona (1994)

Diego Maradona sparked controversy again at the 1994 World Cup which took place in the United States. His actions this time did not make Argentina a champion, in fact he had to be kicked out of the tournament.

FIFA kicked him out because he was proven to have taken the banned drug ephedrine. He was also suspended for 15 months in the Italian league in the same case when he played for Napoli in 1991.

The shocking incident made Argentina shaken and only lasted until the round of 16. This is Argentina’s worst achievement because in the previous two editions they were champions and runners-up.

Zinedine Zidane Headbutts Marco Materazzi (2006)

The 2006 World Cup in Germany should have been a sweet moment for Zinedine Zidane to end his international career. After the final match against Italy in this edition of the World Cup, Zidane decided to hang up his boots for the French national team.

But unfortunately in the final match, the player with a record of 108 appearances and 31 goals for France, acted up. He headed Marco Materazzi’s chest in the 110th minute of extra time when the score was 1-1.

France finally lost to Italy on penalties. The media not only highlighted Italy’s fourth World Cup title but also criticized Zidane’s actions.

The War in Santiago (1962)

The 1962 World Cup Group 2 preliminary match between hosts Chile and Italy was hot. Heat tensions even occurred before the match, when two state media also enlivened the atmosphere.

In the 12th minute, the Italian player Giorgio Ferrini got a red card. The Chile player who was fouled by Ferrini, Honorino Landa, did not get a red card despite responding by punching Ferrini in the face.

Mario David became the second Italian player to receive a red card for his shot at Leonel Sanchez. A group of police even had to enter the field three times to relieve tension in the match which Chile finally won with a score of 2-0.

Andres Escobar’s Own Goal (1994)

The biggest tragedy in the history of the World Cup occurred after the 1994 edition of the tournament in the United States. Even the life of the Colombian player, Andres Escobar, had to be lost because of a murder case.

The tragic incident began with Andres Escobar’s own goal against the hosts of the United States. Not only losing 1-2, Colombia, which became a dark horse for successfully becoming the top of the standings during qualifying, had to be eliminated quickly in this event.

The news that shocked the world then came when Andres Escobar was declared dead five days after the Colombian national team’s return from the United States. Police named a drug cartel who shot Escobar dead because he lost a soccer bet.

Source: Sportkeeda, Daily Mail