Top 10 notorious World Cup goals

Soccer's biggest stage has had a long history of make-or-break moments that can forever define those involved, writes Chris Rattue

1 1966 Geoff Hurst

Certainly the most controversial World Cup finals goal in the English-speaking soccer world, a celebrated moment inspiring endless debate and even scientific study.

Hurst, who had not been a certain selection for the English squad, nailed three goals in the final as England beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley.

Hurst's go-ahead goal in extra time bounced off the underside of the cross bar and into the history books. The Swiss referee consulted the Soviet linesman, who thought the ball had actually hit the back of the net and bounced out.

He is also alleged to have made a death-bed confession of sorts, stating that his certainty about the goal was encouraged by the German brutality at Stalingrad in World War II.

Over time, it has been generally accepted that the goal should not have been awarded as it did not fully cross the line, although doubtless there are naysayers to this.

As a curio, the fashion conscious who have seen the tape will note the cute peaked hat atop the German goalie, the sort of thing that John Lennon would have been proud to wear around Greenwich Village.

Questions that will never truly be answered: was it a goal, and how did Hans Tilkowski keep his hat on while trying to make the save?

2 1986 Diego Maradona

Not only is this the most famous hand-goal in World Cup finals history, but the move that created it might also feature the weirdest back-pass in World Cup finals history.

There were a lot of ways England's Steve Hodge may have tried to clear the danger, after a scintillating run from Diego Maradona had gone astray, but one of them shouldn't have been a difficult lob towards his goalkeeper, the great Peter Shilton.

It turned into a miracle one-two situation for the little Argentinian superstar, who out-jumped the big "keeper by slapping the ball into the net at the Mexico City stadium. So followed the "Hand of God" claim, revised later by Maradona, who suggested the goal was an act of revenge for the Falklands War.

Maradona fought valiantly against his conscience from the get-go. He scored an absolute cracker, rated by some as the best World Cup goal ever, a few minutes after his hand-goal, repeated the dose against Belgium, and went on to lead Argentina to the World Cup crown.

3 1994 Andres Escobar

Tragic, in the real sense of the word rather than the overworked sports cliche.

The defender's own goal - after he thrust out a leg towards a cross - against tournament hosts the United States helped send his side to defeat and an early trip home.

Days later, back in Colombia, Escobar was shot dead following an argument with a group of people as he left a restaurant with a woman. He was shot 12 times, with the assailants repeatedly yelling "goal" as the gun was fired.

The killer was a teacher, who was initially given a very long sentence but has already been freed. The murder was inevitably linked to the goal especially as rumours about the influence of evil betting syndicates had long swirled around this Colombian team.

Observers of this World Cup were mystified by the poor tournament performance from an extravagant Colombian team tipped by Pele to win the crown.

The coach and another player were said to have received death threats before the match against the United States. The players were probably spooked, and with good reason as it turned out.

Escobar received a hero's funeral, attended by more than 100,000 people.

4 2006 Francesco Totti

Cruel luck seemed to strike Australia in the first knockout round of the tournament in Germany, where they fell - literally - to eventual champions Italy.

The crucial penalty, struck home by Francesco Totti, was awarded with just 12 seconds remaining. Fabio Grosso had cut inside the lunge of Lucas Neill, and then fell over the Australian as he lay on the ground, his back towards the Italian.

Neill may have nudged upwards and lifted an arm, and Grosso certainly exaggerated his fall. It was an unusual situation, but few apart from the Italians and the Spanish referee thought it was a fair call at the time.

Grosso remained on the ground, his head in the grass, as teammates congratulated him, although Italian star Totti - struggling for form after a long injury-break before the tournament - may have felt less celebratory as he contemplated the spot kick.

The Australians were bitterly disappointed, of course, although a limb almost has to be severed before any team admits they conceded a fair penalty.

Looking at this controversial incident a few years on, Neill doesn't appear as innocent as memory initially suggests. My view is that Neill did actually try to get away with a touch of disguised obstruction, particularly with a sneaky move of his arm, and the referee made a fair, if marginal, call.

5 1982 Horst Hrubesch

There should have been a Fifa inquisition in Spain as West Germany and Austria contrived a 1-0 victory to the Germans.

This was the perfect result for the two teams, in a very imperfect game of football. The result allowed both to remain in the tournament by eliminating Algeria, who had scored a shock win over West Germany.

Hrubesch's goal after 10 minutes should have been one for Germany to celebrate but instead it was a mark of shame as the two sides collaborated by failing to play for real after that.

Someone suggested they should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, so tame were their efforts. Algeria were set up in part by the draw - their final match was played a day earlier leaving Austria and West Germany knowing what they needed to progress.

The disgrace led to a rule change so that final round matches are played simultaneously. A hunch says Algeria would have cheered on Italy when they beat West Germany in the final.

6 1950 Alcides Ghiggia

A famous goal from the Uruguay player, yet infamous in a way, because it showed how a momentary lapse can bring a man's life down in this game.

There was no official final, but reports say that the decider - played in front of 200,000 people at the Maracana stadium - was every bit a grand finale.

Brazil only needed a draw in the match against Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro, and were fully expected to do a lot better than that. Uruguay's winning goal came on 79 minutes. The Brazilian defending was partly at fault, yet blame was to fall heaviest upon the goalkeeper Moacir Barbosa who had allowed a gap at his near post.

Uruguay's victory was long regarded as a Brazilian catastrophe, and Barbosa could attest to that. Among the saddest quotes you might ever read in sport has been attributed to him.

"Under Brazilian law the maximum sentence is 30 years, but my imprisonment has been for 50," he said weeks before his death, at the age of 79, in 2000.

Barbosa was even ejected from a Brazilian training session in the 1990s, for fear he was a jinx. Barbosa lived in sadness, and died poor. Unfortunately, racism - Barbosa was black - may have been at the root of the hostility.

7 1978 Mario Kempes and friends

Take your pick from six Argentinian goals scored against Peru. Match-scheduling was again the issue. Argentina, the host nation, went into the match knowing they needed to beat Peru by a margin of four goals, to make the final ahead of Brazil.

This they did in a canter, after leading 2-0 at half-time. Suspicion raged that skulduggery was at play. Reports mentioned the Peru goalkeeper, Ramon Quiroga, was born in Argentina (although Quiroga actually helped to keep the margin down to six goals).

But the match left a bitter aftertaste, especially as Peru were horrible in the second half. Quiroga felt compelled to write a letter to fans, defending himself and the team.

Brazil were furious. Argentinian media counter-claimed, suggesting Brazil tried to bribe Peru to play well. If so, Brazil had every right to wave a consumer guarantee form around and demand their money back. Argentina went on to win the final against Holland, the World Cup's beautiful bridesmaids.

8 2002 Fernando Morientes

A "goal-that-wasn't" in the quarter-finals. The Spaniard headed in at the far post after a cross from Joaquin Rodriguez against tournament co-hosts South Korea, only for it to be disallowed.

The ball had clearly remained in-field before Joaquin got his perfect cross in, yet the linesman raised a flag and the Egyptian referee rubbed out the goal.

The Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae has his arms down as the ball goes into the net, suggesting he heard the whistle, but still ... Spain had already been denied another headed goal, with a mysterious free-kick awarded against them instead.

Woon-Jae and Joaquin were to cross paths again, as the Korean was allowed to move illegally to save during the penalty shoot-out, which South Korea won.

All in all, a bad day for the officials and Spain, and another ripping success for that mysterious entity home advantage. Asian football, the game's prized new expansion territory, wasn't exactly hurt either.

9 2006 Zinedine Zidane

The French master will forever be the central figure in the final against Italy in Germany, first for his audacious penalty, and then for the head butt which resulted in him being sent off.

But this goal is about much more than Zidane. Diving is the scourge of football, and it led to the awarding of the early penalty to France after Florent Malouda turned all aerial in the penalty box.

The Italian defender Marco Materazzi hardly touched Malouda, if at all, and actually desperately avoided him, but to no avail.

Off Malouda went, like something the Wright brothers invented. Materazzi had the last laugh, or a couple of them actually. But still, diving is no laughing matter, especially when it works.

10 1994 Diana Ross

As the video replays show, the net bursts like a net has never burst before even though Ross hits the ceremonial penalty well left of goal.

Only in America. How Ross could have missed so badly is anyone's guess, and she doesn't even play for England.

The international singing star helped open the tournament in Chicago and the pageant organisers had more faith in her finding the back of the net than they should have.

Ross survived though, and went on to bigger and better things, opening the rugby league World Cup at Wembley the very next year.