Football (or soccer, internationally) is the most popular sport in the world. Because of its global popularity, it has a long and complicated history, filled with scandals and controversies, from the English Premier League to the FIFA World Cup. From match-fixing to murder, here are some of the biggest football scandals of all time. So Wintips will share with readers the football scandals through the following article!
The biggest soccer scandals of all time
The FIFA corruption scandal of 2015
Corruption and bribery have long been associated with international soccer due to its massive fan base and lucrative business opportunities. The sport’s biggest scandal occurred in 2015, when 14 former and current FIFA officials were arrested by the FBI on charges including extortion, racketeering, and money laundering.
FIFA was accused of accepting more than $100 million in bribes from countries seeking to host the World Cup, with transactions allegedly processed through U.S. bank accounts.
When soccer’s world governing body is involved in corruption, how can anyone else be expected to play by the rules?
The Calciopoli refereeing scandal of 2006
A single bad refereeing decision can change the outcome of an entire match, as every sports fan knows. In 2006, it was discovered that several Italian teams had influenced referee appointments to gain an unfair advantage, making it one of the biggest scandals in football history.
While several teams were implicated and found guilty of influencing match outcomes, the most notable was Juventus, which was demoted from Serie A to Serie B as a consequence. They were also stripped of the titles they had won as a result of the controversy.
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The 1994 murder of Andrés Escobar
Soccer is not just a sport, but it is part of a larger cultural identity in almost every country except the United States. (However, the popularity of soccer is steadily increasing in the United States.) This is part of what made the 1994 World Cup match between the United States and Colombia so devastating; for Colombia, losing to the United States was a significant embarrassment.
Under normal circumstances, Colombia would have won the match, but defender Andrés Escobar “accidentally” scored an own goal, changing the course of the game early on.
The word "accidentally" is in quotes because there are many theories suggesting that it may not have been accidental, but rather a deliberate act of bribery by an organized crime group with betting interests in the game.
Whatever the explanation behind his own goal, Escobar's mistake not only saddened his team but also his entire country. A few days after the match, Escobar was shot six times and later succumbed to his injuries.
The 2009 Nigeria age-cheating scandal
Age-cheating isn’t just a problem in women’s gymnastics. It’s one of the biggest scandals in modern football—especially in Nigeria.
Over the years, Nigeria has been involved in various forms of sports cheating, from domestic leagues to Olympic athletes. Perhaps the most famous case was the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, when half the team was found to be significantly overage.
Older, more experienced players give a team a winning edge, which is why age verification is taken very seriously in football. Nigeria has a history of age cheating dating back at least to the 1998 Olympics.
Brazil’s 2014 spending scandal
The 2014 FIFA World Cup took place in Brazil. To host this international event, Brazil invested heavily in stadiums, infrastructure, and accommodations. That in itself is not a scandal. However, the mismanagement of the billions of dollars spent on this project is.
Brazilian politicians were among those who funded this exorbitantly expensive construction project, which became a scandal for two reasons:
- It influences the outcome of future government elections.
- It diverts public funds from essential services.
Mexico's 2011 "Chicken Gate"
One of the biggest soccer scandals in history may have had a ridiculous name, but 'Chicken-Gate' was a major controversy in 2011. Before the 2011 Gold Cup, drug tests were conducted on Mexican players, and five of them tested positive for clenbuterol.
Clenbuterol can be used as a performance-enhancing drug because it helps convert calories into muscle rather than fat. However, it is also commonly used in livestock, which is why the drug test results were controversial. The players involved in the scandal claimed that they failed the drug test due to consuming contaminated meat.
Later, it was discovered that the majority of players in the U-17 World Cup had tested positive for the same drug. So, is this a public health crisis or a convenient excuse for doping?
Ronaldo's transgender scandal of 2008
It may come as a surprise, but this incident is indeed part of the list. In 2008, Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima found himself embroiled in controversy after being discovered in a room with three transgender prostitutes.
While some may overlook this, others (including Ronaldo himself) regard it as a significant blemish on his reputation. Ronaldo claimed he was unaware that the three prostitutes were transgender until they arrived at his hotel room, where they attempted to extort a large sum of money from him in exchange for their silence.
The transgender women, on the other hand, claimed that he attempted to bribe them for their silence and even issued threats.
No arrests were made, but the incident still sparked significant controversy surrounding the renowned footballer's career.
The 2010 Bruno Fernandes murder arrest
This case remains one of the most shocking football scandals of all time, bearing a resemblance to a storyline from a horror film. Bruno Fernandes was a renowned Brazilian footballer who, despite his substantial wealth, refused to pay child support to his girlfriend, Eliza Samudio. In a shocking turn of events, he allegedly ordered his associates to torture, murder, dismember her body, and feed the remains to his dogs.
The killer was convicted of the brutal crime and sentenced to 22 years in prison but served only a few years before he appealed the sentence. During that time, Fernandes was released and later signed by a football club. When asked about the murder, he said, 'I made a mistake. Mistakes are inevitable in life.'
Fortunately, his appeal was eventually rejected, and the convicted killer was sent back to prison.
The Ryan Giggs sex scandal of 2011
The 2011 Ryan Giggs sex scandal was one of the biggest in football, comparable to the Tiger Woods scandal of 2009. The footballer was exposed by John Hemming, a member of the British Parliament, for having multiple affairs, including one that lasted for years with his sister-in-law.
Although these affairs were not crimes, they caused a major scandal in the sports world. Frequently labeled a "love rat" in the media, Giggs remains one of the most infamous figures in football due to his scandals.
The 2011 racial quota scandal
While racial issues are often most prominent in the United States, France faced criticism in 2011 for its alleged "racial quota" in association football. A racial quota was not an officially sanctioned policy but rather an unwritten agreement among some prominent figures and coaches in the sport, stating that players of African or Arab descent should comprise no more than 30 percent of the national team. Unfortunately, this remains a contentious issue in 2018.
Lessons learned
Soccer, despite being a globally popular sport, has had its fair share of shocking scandals. From major corruption scandals such as the 2015 FIFA scandal to controversies involving referees, age fraud, violence, crime, and misconduct, soccer has experienced numerous incidents that have tarnished its image. These scandals not only affect the players and teams but also erode the fans’ faith in the integrity and fairness of the sport. However, football remains a passion for millions around the world, overcoming scandals while maintaining its global appeal and continuous growth.
See more: Revisiting the 2006 Italian football scandal: The fall of Serie A
