Worst Referee Decisions in Football (5 Disgraceful Matches)

The 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Japan and South Korea is famously remembered for the host nation's dream run. However, South Korea's Round of 16 match against powerhouse Italy is widely regarded as one of the most corrupt displays in football history.

Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno delivered a performance so bizarre it sparked international investigations. He allowed South Korean players to execute aggressive, borderline-violent tackles without brandishing a single card.

Key highlights of the officiating disaster include:

Ultimately, Ahn Jung-hwan scored the golden goal to send South Korea through, sealing Italy’s painful exit amidst widespread outrage.

Just days after the Italian disaster, Spain fell victim to similarly baffling decisions in their quarter-final clash against South Korea. This match remains one of the ultimate examples of the worst referee decisions in football history.

Egyptian referee Gamal Al-Ghandour and his linesmen disallowed two perfectly legitimate goals scored by Spain during normal and extra time.

First, a Ruben Baraja header was ruled out for an imaginary shirt-pulling foul in the box. Later, Joaquin beat his defender and crossed a perfect ball for Fernando Morientes to head home. The linesman falsely flagged that the ball had crossed the goal line before the cross, despite television replays proving the ball was clearly in play.

Spain was forced into a penalty shootout, where they eventually lost. The Spanish players were so furious they had to be physically restrained from confronting the refereeing crew on the pitch.

"It’s a disgrace! It’s a f***ing disgrace!"

Those were the infamous words screamed into a television camera by Chelsea legend Didier Drogba after the 2009 UEFA champions league semi final. Norwegian referee Tom Henning Øvrebø delivered a performance that remains a dark stain on European football.

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg, Chelsea took an early lead through a Michael Essien volley. To book their ticket to the final, Chelsea just needed to hold off Barcelona, but they also had to overcome Øvrebø's whistle.

During the match, Chelsea was denied at least four clear, stonewall penalties:

After Andres Iniesta scored a dramatic 93rd-minute equalizer to send Barcelona through on away goals, Ballack chased Øvrebø down the pitch in sheer, unadulterated fury. It is widely remembered as the biggest daylight robbery in modern club football.

Hosting a World Cup comes with immense pressure, but in 1982, Spain received a massive helping hand from Danish referee Henning Lund-Sørensen to keep their campaign alive.

Trailing 1-0 against Yugoslavia in a crucial group stage match, Spain was awarded a penalty kick for a foul committed on Roberto López Ufarte. The only issue? The foul took place at least two yards outside the penalty area.

To make matters worse, López Ufarte stepped up and dragged the penalty wide. However, the referee ordered the penalty to be retaken, claiming the Yugoslavian goalkeeper had moved off his line too early. Juanito stepped up for the retake, scored, and ignited a Spanish comeback to win 2-1, leaving global audiences stunned by the sheer injustice.

The 1986 World Cup in Mexico is famous for the ultimate world cup controversy in the Argentina vs. England match. However, the Round of 16 clash between the USSR and Belgium featured far worse officiating.

The highly-favored Soviet Union side dominated the play, but Swedish referee Erik Fredriksson and his linesmen made two catastrophic errors that cost them the tournament.

Belgium’s crucial equalizing goals—scored by Enzo Scifo and Jan Ceulemans—were both glaringly offside. Despite the linesman initially raising his flag for Ceulemans' goal, the referee overruled his assistant and allowed play to continue. Belgium went on to win the thrilling encounter 4-3 in extra time, leaving the Soviets absolutely devastated by blatant errors.