5 FIFA World Cup Controversies Involving Argentina: Maradona's Hand Of God To Holy Water Goal

Argentina's triumph at the 1978 FIFA World Cup has long been surrounded by controversy, particularly over their 6-0 victory against Peru in the second group stage. Argentina needed to win by at least four goals to reach the final ahead of Brazil, and they exceeded that target comfortably. The result sparked allegations that the match had been fixed, with critics pointing to the political relationship between Argentina's military dictatorship and Peru at the time. However, no conclusive evidence has ever proven that the match was manipulated.

One of the most famous controversies in FIFA World Cup history came during the 1986 quarterfinal between Argentina and England. In the 51st minute, Diego Maradona punched the ball into the net with his left hand to give Argentina the lead. The Tunisian referee and his assistants failed to spot the handball and allowed the goal to stand. After the game, Maradona famously said the opening goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God," giving birth to the iconic "Hand of God" phrase. (Picture Credit: AFP)

Another controversial episode involving Argentina came during the 1990 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 against Brazil. Brazil dominated the match but lost 1-0 after Claudio Caniggia scored a late winner. After the game, Brazilian left-back Branco alleged that Argentina had offered him water laced with a sedative during the match, claiming he felt dizzy after drinking it. Years later, Diego Maradona admitted in his autobiography that a bottle containing a tranquilizer had been given to Branco, fueling the controversy. Although the incident became known as the "holy water" controversy, FIFA never took disciplinary action. (Picture Credit: AFP)

Argentina's 3-1 victory over Mexico in the Round of 16 at the 2010 FIFA World Cup was overshadowed by a major refereeing controversy. Carlos Tevez opened the scoring in the 26th minute by heading home a Lionel Messi pass, but television replays clearly showed he was in an offside position. Despite the assistant referee's initial uncertainty and the replay being visible on the stadium's giant screen, the goal was allowed to stand. Mexico's players protested angrily, but the decision was not overturned. (Picture Credit: AP)

Argentina's quarterfinal against the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup became one of the tournament's most controversial matches. Argentina led 2-0 before the Dutch staged a dramatic comeback to level the score at 2-2 in stoppage time. Tempers flared throughout the contest, with repeated confrontations between players, coaching staff and the benches. Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz issued a World Cup record 18 yellow cards, including bookings after the final whistle. Lionel Messi was also criticised for handling the ball deliberately before assisting Argentina's opening goal, although no further action was taken. (Picture Credit: AP)