10 Footballers Who Recovered From World Cup Disgraces

1. Diego Maradona

A few names in the England squad for the 1986 World Cup quarter final in Mexico probably wanted to head butt skilful Argentinian hero Diego Maradona for his hand ball.

With the game locked at 0-0 in the second half, Maradona managed to thread a quick pass through and latch onto a subsequent cross into the box. Controversially, he beat England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to the punch, quite literally, by using his hand to divert the ball into the net.

As much as the English players protested, the referee would have none of it, the goal stood, they lost 2-1 and the moment became known as the "Hand of God" in the press. Despite the drama, Maradona would go on to score twice more against Belgium in the semi final and help his side beat West Germany 3-2 in the showpiece final.

Within the span of one match against England, Maradona went from cheating disgrace to sublime genius by scoring a second even the English press couldn't help but marvel over. Then, he won the World Cup, and (as much as some people wanted to), few could deny that a player of his undoubted skill and poise deserved to be on top of the footballing world.

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What other stories of World Cup disgrace to glory can you think of? Let us know down in the comments section below!