Three Infamous World Cup Controversies

While the World Cup is well known for outstanding plays and goals, it also has its fair share of controversial moments. In fact, these controversies can sometimes overshadow the game. Here are some of the most controversial instances in World Cup history.

Italy versus France, 1939

In the years before the outbreak of World War II, what is supposed to be just another sporting event turned into a major political issue. Upon the arrival of the Italian team in France, they are greeted by mobs of exiled Italians protesting against the fascist reign of Benito Mussolini.  Despite the not so welcoming atmosphere, Giuseppe Meazza and his team managed to make it up to the championships for the second time around.

Controversy broke out in the quarterfinals when they met up against host country France. While they were required to wear white shirts, the Italian team instead wore black shirts known as the Maglia Nera, the insignia of the Italian paramilitary. The team would then further draw the ire of the protesters when they publicly did the fascist salute at the start of the match.

Italy versus Chile, 1966

The Italian team would yet again become embroiled in a controversy decades later, this time against Chile in the 1966 edition. This match would infamously turn into one of the most violent fistfights in the history of the competition. In fact, the BBC network delivered an apt warning during their breoadcast of the match. "Good evening. The game you are about to see is the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game."

The match was already heated from the start, with the first fould being called just 12 seconds into the game, and the first player to be thrown off the playing field, Italian midfielder Giorgio Ferrini, would come just 12 minutes later. Ferrini refused to leave and had to be dragged by the police. Everything would then go downhill from there.

Bogota World Cup, 1970

Perhaps one of the most infamous incidents in the history of the World Cup, the controversy in fact, happened way outside the field. Then defending champion England drew the ire of the host country of Mexico by having frozen meals delivered to them from abroad, supposedly to avoid having to eat local food. 

However, the bigger controversy didn’t happen there. Just before they arrived in Mexico, the English team stopped by Bogota, Colombia. Here, team captain Bobby Moore was arrested after he allegedly stole an emerald bracelet. While Moore would be released four days later, the incident would greatly affect the morale of the team, leading to its lost against West Germany in the quarterfinals. 

Source:

http://espnfc.com/world-cup/story/_/page/worldcup101-03242010/ce/us/ten-most-controversial-moments&cc=4716?ver=global