A tournament full of great goals and great controversy…
SEE ALSO: The 50 best players at the 2014 World Cup.
World Cup 2014 has had it all. A tournament to remember for some, a tournament to forget for many others. Here’s a look at the top ten most controversial moments of the World Cup so far:
10) Diego Costa – booed for being a traitor
Soon to be Chelsea striker Diego Costa, who has had a World Cup to forget with Spain, was booed by Brazilian fans throughout the tournament – following his switch in national allegiances earlier this year.
9) France – is it a goal?
Tournament officials will have been delighted to see that goal line technology helped correctly award France a goal during their 3-0 win over Honduras. However, the crowd were less impressed with the replays shown on the big screens, which initially showed that the ball hadn’t crossed the line.
8) Joe Hart – really needs a new ball
The England goalkeeper was distinctly unimpressed with one particularly slow ball boy, who was rewarded with this foul-mouth rant…
7) Mexico – surely not again
Mexico had every right to feel aggrieved when they had perfectly legitimate goals chalked off not once, but twice for offside against Cameroon. Luckily, they were still able to win the match 1-0.
6) Pepe – losing your head
The Portuguese defender left his team firmly in the mire, after attempting to headbutt German forward Thomas Muller.
5) Cameroon – there might have been an elbow there
Alex Song may be an experienced international and European footballer, but you wouldn’t know it after this most blatant of attacks on an opposition player, during his team’s 4-0 defeat by Croatia…
4) Cameroon – so bad they’re in here twice
Cameroon completed a tournament to forget, when they’re own players started fighting each other. See the video here:
3) Brazil – is that really a penalty
The hosts benefited from extremely dubious refereeing decision during their opening match win over Croatia, none more so than the decision to award Fred a penalty which Neymar duly dispatched.
2) Diego Godin – the latest England scapegoat
The Uruguayan defender will be near the top of the list of English excuses, following their dismal World Cup exit. It could have been so different had Godin been sent-off after just ten minutes of last week’s match, which England went on to lose 2-1. Meanwhile, Godin headed the winner against Italy (pictured) and guided his team into the Last 16.
1) Luis Suarez – at it again
From the majestic to the moronic in the space of two games, wonderfully summing up a career laced with controversy from the very start. The Liverpool striker will seemingly never learn.
