Top 5 Jaw-dropping Moments in World Cup History
The FIFA World Cup is arguably the best sporting competition on the planet. It has brought the
world together countless times since the 1930 inaugural edition and has set the scene for both
new global superstars and retiring greats. It’s most exciting date on the global footballing
calendar—you cannot ignore the World Cup.
Things are a little different this year, with Qatar 2022 being held in the winter to combat the
extreme desert heat. Fans and sports bettors will look on with glee as titans like Brazil,
Argentina and England battle it out to see who will be crowned champion. It’s an incredibly
fertile time for sports wagering fans, with 64 games to place bets on. Consult a World Cup 2022
betting guide for information on match predictions, teams to watch and more.
We’ve decided to list the top five jaw-dropping moments in honour of this legendary sporting
competition. Keep reading for a rundown!
Maradona and the Hand of God
Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt recently sold for several million pounds, proving how
shocking the legendary Argentine’s infamous goal against England was. Occurring in the 1986
World Cup quarterfinals, it was largely responsible for the 2–1 score.
Maradona contested a cross with keeper Peter Shilton, slyly using his hand to beat the much
taller keeper to the ball. The goal was given due to the lack of VAR and the referee’s obscured
view, launching Argentina to their second World Cup triumph.
Zidane and the Infamous Headbutt
The 2006 World Cup was meant to be Zinedine Zidane’s swansong, but it ended as a
nightmare. Things were going well for Les Bleus as they reached the final against Italy. Zidane
had converted a penalty earlier in the game, and tensions were rising as the final went to extra
time.
In stepped Marco Materrazi, who made an unsavoury remark about the Frenchman's sister.
Shockingly, Zidane retaliated with a headbutt to the chest and was sent off as a result. It was
the last act of his professional playing career and will forever go down in infamy.
Serbia Shock the German Machine
The World Cup is no stranger to shocking results, but Serbia’s 1–0 victory against Germany in
2010 is surely one of the greatest. Miroslav Klose, the highest-scoring player in World Cup
history, was sent off in the 36th minute. 120 seconds later, Milan Jovanovic got the better of
Manuel Neuer and set up the most famous victory in the nation’s history.
Portugal and Holland See Red
The so-called ‘Battle of Nuremberg’ was a 2006 match between Holland and Portugal that saw
an unprecedented sixteen yellow cards and four red cards. It was certainly the most vicious
football game of the 21st century, Portugal were lucky to win 1–0 without any serious injuries.
We’re not sure if we’ll ever see a more unhinged World Cup match.
Germany Humble Brazil
It was truly impossible not to let your jaw drop watching the World Cup 2014 semi-final between
Germany and Brazil. The host country were missing talismans Neymar and Thiago Silva, but
nobody expected the frankly astonishing score.
Germany were inexplicably 5–0 up by the 29th minute. It was ludicrous, with the game finishing
7–1. Brazil had been utterly humiliated at home in an unforgettable World Cup moment.
Henry
just love writing about football and playing video games, love my quiet time also. contact me @ [email protected]
