The FIFA World Cup is the biggest football platform on the planet and every nation that plays in the tournament is expected to participate with all passion. There have been times when this passion has led to a brawl. Let us have a look at the top-5 fights that ever happened in FIFA World Cup history.
Portugal vs Holland (2006)- Also known as the Battle of Nuremberg, the football match between the two nations turned into a battleground back in 2006. On 25 June 2006, both the national teams went to war to cruise past each other in the Round of 16 of the World Cup. The referee showed 4 red cards, and 16 yellow cards, setting a new record at the World Cup.
Zidane vs Materazzi- The French legend missed out on his second consecutive FIFA World Cup in 2006 after he headbutted Italian player Materazzi, causing a red card for Zidane. The two World Champions exchanged a few words before the French maestro shoved his head on Materazzi’s chest.
Battle of Santiago (World Cup 1962)- A huge fight broke out between Chile and Italy back in the 1962 World Cup. The players from both teams threw numerous punches at each other causing several injuries. The game saw 2 red cards as Chile won 2-0 over Italy. The violence took such a turn that police intervention was required by the end of the game.
Uruguay vs Ghana- A historic moment in the history of the FIFA World Cup, Uruguay vs Ghana saw all sorts of emotions as the game went till penalties. After Luis Suarez was shown a red card for a goal-line clearance by his hand, Ghana failed to convert the penalty in the last minute of the game. Uruguay went on the win the Quarter-finals game on penalties.
Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God”- The Argentine legend scored an illegal goal during the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup against England. Maradona punched the ball into the goal which was not seen by the referee and was given as a goal. Still one of the greatest robberies in the World Cup, Argentina went on to win match 2, courtesy of Diego Maradona’s brace.