The FIFA World Cup 2022 is just around the corner. While fans are all set to cheer their teams in the football extravaganza, the rest of the world is also well prepared to enjoy the 90-minute battles among 32 nations. With a population of three million, Qatar, the host of this year, will likely welcome roughly 1.5 million spectators all across the globe for the largest football tournament. The mega event will kick-off with the opening encounter between host Qatar and Ecuador on 20 November at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
Looking at the history of this action-packed tournament, several infamous scandals have come to light over the years. However, they have failed to restrict the wave of excitement that hits the entire planet once every four years since 1930. Now, ahead of the Qatar World Cup, let’s recall some of those controversies that have rocked the prestigious tournament in the past:
World Cup trophy stolen (1966):
England hosted the World Cup in 1966. But, ahead of the event, the trophy was stolen from Westminster’s Methodist Central Hall on 20 March 1966. Then came a phone call and a message demanding a £15,000 ransom. The police tracked the suspect and detained Edward Betchley, but they were unable to locate the trophy. On 28 March, David Corbett of Norwood went for a walk with Pickles, his dog. Pickles pointed out a newspaper-wrapped parcel nearby, and Corbett was able to retrieve the prestigious trophy. The 1970 edition saw Brazil win the World Cup. Following their triumphs in 1958 and 1962, they finally acquired possession of the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently. A new trophy was created for succeeding editions.
The Football War (1970):
Honduras and El Salvador had a contentious relationship for much of the 1960s. But football was indeed the spark that started a war. Ahead of the 1970 World Cup, both nations faced each other in a qualifying match in 1969. When Honduras played El Salvador in Tegucigalpa, local supporters gathered outside the hotel of the visiting footballers played loud music, banged barrels and cans, honked horns and lit off fireworks. Honduras defeated the exhausted visitors 1-0. Following the defeat, an 18-year-old Salvadorian supporter shot herself to death in her house.
The Hondurans travelled to San Salvador a week later for the return leg. The Salvadorians filled the hotel rooms of the away footballers with rotten eggs, dead rats, and foul-smelling rags. The Honduran flag was burned before the game began and replaced with a rag. In the game, El Salvador triumphed 3-0. As a consequence, the border between the two countries was shut down soon after the Honduran players left for their country. What followed was a 100-hour war that killed thousands.
Hands of God (1986):
Argentina’s 2-1 quarterfinal triumph against England in 1986 is one of the most iconic World Cup matches, thanks to Diego Maradona. However, for English fans, it ended up being an unpleasant memory for a different reason. The first goal by Maradona earned the moniker of the ‘Hand of God’ due to his clear use of his hand, rather than his head. But the move went unnoticed by the referee. Three minutes later, he shredded England’s defence by sneaking past five players and goalkeeper Peter Shilton to score his second goal, widely regarded as the “Goal of the Century,” putting the final nail to England’s coffin.
Zidane Headbutt (2006):
Zinedine Zidane unquestionably made an immense contribution to the development of French football in the 2000s. However, the final of the FIFA World Cup 2006 saw the brutal side of the iconic striker. Despite being instrumental in getting France to the final, Zidane embarrassed himself on the final day when he aggressively headbutted Marco Materazzi, leaving France down a player for the rest of the match. Italy ultimately won the World Cup on penalty shootouts.
Suarez bite (2014):
Uruguayan striker Louis Suarez is quite infamous for several instances of biting during a football game. But the most notorious one arrived in the 2014 World Cup when Suarez went on to assault Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in a group-league match. While waiting for an aerial ball, Suarez attacked Chiellini and then collapsed to the ground holding his face. Mexican official Marco Rodriguez refused to call a foul. Following the incident, Uruguay earned a corner through which Diego Godin scored the game’s sole goal.
Here are some other notable controversies surrounding FIFA World Cup:
- In 1994, after testing positive for the prohibited drug ephedrine, Maradona was disqualified from the tournament. His iconic wide-eyed celebration after striking against Greece in the group stages led to questions. After the occurrence, the iconic footballer has never played again for his country.
- In 1998, Brazilian star Ronaldo was omitted from the team sheet to play France but later showed up just before kickoff. An ankle injury, an unsettled stomach, and poison were some of the rumoured theories behind his sudden disappearance, before he showed up.
- In 1978, Argentina needed to defeat Peru by four goals to advance into the title game. Despite a strong start, Peru eventually collapsed, allowing the Argentineans to score six goals. There were rumours that the match was rigged.
- In 2010, a rebellion inside the French squad pitting the players against the supporting staff led the side to finish at the bottom of their Group with just one point.
- In 2018, after scoring a winning goal against Serbia, Switzerland footballers Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri went for a controversial celebration imitating the double-headed eagle present in Albania’s national flag. As a result, both footballers were fined £7,637 each by FIFA.
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