Connect with us

Football

Notable Moments from the World Cup You Won’t Believe Ever Happened

The FIFA World Cup — arguably the greatest sporting event in the World. Its recognition transcends the footballing world as attention across nations and other major sports are shifted toward the Mundial. A literal halt is what the FIFA World Cup causes to the sporting world in general.

From the era of the ‘Jules Rimet’ to the changing of the official trophy in 1974, the FIFA World Cup has continually created a global buzz —arguably the most controversial being the 1982 edition of the World Cup held in Spain. From the delirium of Diego Maradona’s exploit in 1986 to the despair of a promising Super Eagles of Nigeria side crashing out at the round of 16 in 1994, the FIFA World Cup has never failed to deliver.

The next edition of the tournament is now days away and Qatar is all set to entertain the world at large.

Here are our 5 moments in the history of the World Cup you won’t believe ever happened: 

1. A Perfect 10

‘España 82’ was the tournament, laced with its fair share of geopolitics. Host country Spain celebrated its final legitimation of democracy with the peaceful democratic election that year. Where, on the other hand, El Salvador stunned the world by appearing at the World Cup for the first time, despite the brutal civil unrest ongoing in their country at that time. 

The Central American country appeared to find fortune, as her opening was against a Hungary side that had its glory days long behind it. However, the game itself proved to be the opposite. In a match that made headlines, Hungary “took no prisoner” as they thumped debuting El Salvador 10-1, scoring 3 goals in the first half and 7 in the second. It appeared that El Salvador’s all-out attacking style of play was their greatest undoing, and a few blamed this defeat on the inexperience of the manager Pipo Rodriguez — who was the youngest manager at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. 

It was a game for the ages, and many from Galicia will remember this notable drubbing at the Nuevo Estadio, Elche. Hungary, despite their fantastic start to the Mundial, surprisingly failed to qualify out of their group.

2. The Best Decision That No One Saw

France hosted the World in 1998 and went on to win the trophy. A myriad of referee-related events unfolded at the Mundial, from the tussle between Slaven Bilic and Laurent Blanc in the semi-finals to Zidane stamping on Saudi Arabia’s Fuad Anwar and getting his marching orders in the 70th minute. But one that stood out was that of Esse Baharmast, an American official; specifically, his decision to award Norway a penalty against a high-flying Brazil in the dying minutes of the game. A game that eventually had direct effects on the qualifications of Norway and Morocco, Baharmast’s decision appeared to be nothing short of a match-fixing, at first glance. So badly was this decision perceived that it translated into fans and football lovers calling for the world governing body to disallow American referees from officiating a game on the biggest stage again.

The Moroccans, who were at the receiving end of what was at first glance a dodgy decision, were not without their fair share of complaints as they led a charge of retribution.

One thing that came as a surprise to many was referee Esse Baharmast, standing firm on his decision, insisting that the view he had of the event was clearer than any TV Camera angle could have captured. Days after the event, a Swedish Television channel was reviewing the event and one of the individuals examining the incident observed they had a camera angle many had not seen before. Upon reviewing the newly discovered angle, it became clear that referee Baharmast was spot-on with his decision to award that penalty to Norway. While a few media outlets retracted their criticism of him, not nearly enough did. Baharmast still does not get the credit that he deserves for one of the best decisions of all time at a World Cup.

3. The Goal-Saving Prince

One for the ages, a fixture that will live rent-free in the heads of many for years to come. Many believe the referee has the final say on events that unfold in a football game. Well, the referee does, until a Kuwaiti Prince tells him to do otherwise.

In a group stage fixture between France and Kuwait in España ‘82, the referee, for a few moments, became subject to the Prince of Kuwait, when he had to disallow a legitimate goal by the French so as to please the Prince. Referee Miroslav Stupar, from Ukraine, disallowed a goal scored by France’s Alain Giresse, due to a whistle from the stands that made the Kuwaitis stop the chase of the forward, as they mistook the whistle for that of the referee.

 Disgruntled by the perceived injustice against Kuwait football team, Prince Fahad rushed onto the pitch to remonstrate with the referee. After stopping play and threatening a pull-out, Stupar shockingly succumbed to Fahad’s agitation and countermanded his initial decision. He disallowed the goal to the fury of the French and the match resumed

4. Scream for Joy —The Tardelli Cry

The ecstasy that comes with donning your national team colours, the unexplainable feeling that comes with featuring for your nation at the FIFA World Cup, the unspeakable joy that comes with scoring a goal that brings a wave of happiness to a nation relatively troubled. All these were summed up in what is called the “Tardelli cry.”

The joy of successfully channelling a lifetime of aspiration into a single glorious kick has never been better expressed than it was by Marco Tardelli after he scored Italy’s second in the final of the 1982 World Cup.

Marco Tardelli, upon scoring the second goal against West Germany, birthed his now infamous delirious cry. Sprinting and smiling across the pitch in Madrid, the midfielder knew he had secured the World Cup for his side. He knew his team had risen from the ashes against the odds, amidst the cloud of doubts and the looming ghost of previous failure hanging over them, he knew he had done something special, and what better way to express his ecstasy than to give that gripping cry of joy. 

5. Lions Tame the Champions:

This is without a doubt one of the most memorable events any African has experienced at the FIFA World Cup. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon led by 38-year-old Roger Milla shocked an Argentine side led by one of the finest talents the beautiful game has ever seen, Diego Maradona.

No one had high expectations for Cameroon in 1990, but by the end of the tournament, they were one of the biggest success stories. The West African side won over the fans with their free-flowing attacking football, their colourful flags, eccentric kits, and their exuberant passion. The pinnacle of their success was, naturally, so fantastic the Lions were that even Maradona hailed them and dubbed their win “a victory against prejudice.”

Cameroon used the momentum from this victory to propel them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. The success of the Lions also helped pave the way for many Africans to play in Europe, as scouts began to realize that there was a plethora of hidden talent on the continent.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement for the love of sport

Must See

More in Football