10 Biggest FIFA World Cup Controversies
Safe to say England don't get much of the luck at World Cups.
With total attendance figures stretching past the forty million mark and a record audience of 3.5 billion at the last edition in Russia, the Fifa World Cup is the biggest and most prestigious sporting event in the world. Every four years, 32 of the world's best international sides converge in a country to compete in a group-to-knockout tournament with the potential of earning themselves a place in the history books.
With everything from securing number one hits on music charts, to fluctuating the rate of heart attacks in the countries that are competing, the World Cup has an influence that no other event can compete with, and so many legends of the game have earned their legendary status' through their feats at one of Fifa's most important competitions over the years.
However, with such a big stage set, there are plenty of opportunities for controversial moments to take centre stage. And, with 60 years of history and 21 tournaments behind it, the World Cup has truly shown that it is the master of producing said controversy. From scandals of bribery and corruption, to huge bust ups between stars on the pitch, here's our take on the top 10 biggest Fifa World Cup controversies.
10. Zidane's Headbutt
Zinedine Zidane was arguably the best player at the 2006 World Cup heading into the final. Already one of the world's most well respected faces prior to the tournament, Zidane really began to turn things on in the quarter-final tie against Brazil, almost single-handedly taking down a side that included the likes of Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka and Ronaldinho.
Whilst his antics in extra time have become iconic now, Zidane's moments of controversy in the final actually began in the opening ten minutes. His France side were awarded a penalty which Zidane cheekily lobbed in off the underside of the crossbar, triggering a couple of outcries from the Italian defenders claiming the ball hadn't fully crossed the line.
Things would really flare up in extra-time however when Italian defender Marco Materazzi began trash talking Zidane's sister. In a sequence that has now become iconic in both World Cup and sporting history, Zidane jogs past Materazzi, the Italian defender says something to him, to which Zidane turns back round and leathers him in the chest with a brutal headbutt to the chest.
It turned out to be Zidane's final ever game within the sport, with it later being revealed that the Frenchman's controversial lashing out had arisen from Materazzi repeatedly making remarks about his sister.