Source: Sputnik News
The FIFA World Cup is an event that brings the world together. No matter who you are, and no matter where you live, the global event unites us all in the love of the game. Countries go head to head, many memorable moments are sure to occur, and by the end, one country is declared the best in the world.
The 2018 World Cup is nearly upon us, which means people are already gearing up to take part in the festivities. Of course, one of the best ways to get ready for the latest World Cup is to take a bit of time, cast your mind back, and remember some of the most memorable moments of the previous World Cup events.
Another great way to get your head in the game is to play casino games that let you score big online! Soccer Star is an excellent option for anyone looking to live the magic of the beautiful game in a whole new way!
But before you start playing, let’s take a look at some of the best, and worst moments from World Cups past.
1986 – Hand Of God
Source: Hindustan Times
Perhaps one of the most talked about, and controversial moments in football history has to be the so-called Hand Of God. In the England Versus Argentina match, acclaimed player Diego Maradona did something unthinkable; he used his hand to push the ball into the net. This alone would have been enough to cause outrage. But, to make matters worse, the goal was allowed, since the referee had not seen the incident occur.
The event caused so much outrage that it is still talked about today. So why is it referred to as the Hand of God? Later, when Maradona was asked about it, he shrugged the event off by stating that it was the Hand of God that put the ball in!
2006 – Zidane’s Headbutt
Source: ABC
Football is a game that requires some physical contact with the opposing team. Of course, necessary roughness is important, but never to the level where matches are reduced to fist fights. Or, headbutts, if we’re being specific. In the Italy Versus France Final in 2006, sport’s fans watched in open-mouthed horror as Marco Materazzi hit the ground, reeling after taking a head butt to the chest from French player Zinedine Zidane.
Most startling was the blatant nature of the assault. Zidane had pulled the head butt in clear view of millions of fans around the world, in the middle of a match, and seemingly with no remorse. Later Zidane claimed Materazzi had been spitting insults at him, but what exactly those were will probably never be known.
1954 – Biggest Comeback In History
Source: Pinterest
Regarded by many as one of the most unexpected, and outrageous wins in World Cup history, West Germany beat Hungary to win the World Cup. Why was the event so unexpected? Simply because Hungary had been deemed unbeatable, while the West German team had not even been around for four years.
After the first ten minutes of the game, Hungary was up two goals against West Germany, and most accepted that the writing was on the wall. But in a turn around that defied belief, West Germany came back to take the win, and be declared victorious.
1990 – Underdogs Clinch Victory
Source: FourFourTwo
A similar event unfolded more recently in 1990, when Cameroon took on Argentina. The Cameroon team was created mostly of French footballers that had not made it into the A team, and so, naturally, the world assumed that the reigning Argentinian champions would stampede over them.
This was not the case, of course, and by the end of the match the world collectively got to their feet and applauded. Argentina had lost, and Cameroon had gained the respect of the world. They were eliminated prior to the finals, but the win over Argentina would be something fans still talk about to this day.
Now, we can’t wait to see what FIFA World Cup 2018 has in store. There are sure to be some memorable moments in Russia, and we’re excited to see the action unfold.
