10) Luis Fabiano (Brazil) v Ivory Coast – 2010

The Sevilla hitman handled the ball not once, but twice, in the build up to his and Brazil’s second goal in the 3-1 group victory over Ivory Coast. The referee even asked Fabiano if he handled the ball as they jogged back to the halfway line, but unsurprisingly the Milan target shook his head.

9) Diego Maradona (Argentina) v USSR – 1990

Swedish official Erik Frederiksson is probably the most hated referee of all time in Russian parts. Back in the 1986 World Cup he had permitted two blatantly offside goals to Belgium during their classic 4-3 second round win over the Soviets. Four years later, he again cost the USSR qualification – this time in the group. Both Argentina and the USSR had lost their opening games, and with the score at 0-0 Maradona escaped after he clearly pulled the ball back from the line with his hand to deny the USSR taking the lead. Argentina went on to win 2-0 and reach the final, while Valeriy Lobanovskyi’s men were eliminated at the first hurdle.

8) Mario Kempes (Argentina) v Poland – 1978

In their first game of Round 2 Group B, hosts Argentina took on Poland in Rosario. Luis Cesar Menotti’s men led through a first half Mario Kempes header but Poland thought they had equalised when Grzegorz Lato headed towards goal. Kempes was defending on his own line and dived across to punch the ball away, conceding a penalty in the process. Incredibly, Kazimierz Deyna missed the resulting spotkick and Kempes later doubled Argentina’s lead. The striker would score twice again in the final as the South Americans won the cup.

7) Torsten Frings (Germany) v United States – 2002

Michael Ballack headed Germany ahead against the run of play just before half time in this quarter final after the USA had dominated the first half. The States poured forward looking for an equaliser and Gregg Berhalter stretched out a leg at the far post to steer a corner home, only to then see Torsten Frings handle the ball off the line and into goalkeeper Oliver Kahn’s arms. A melee ensued, but nothing was given by the referee and eventual finalists Germany held on for an infamous 1-0 win in the most infamous of World Cups.

6) Joe Jordan (Scotland) v Wales – 1977

A do-or-die World Cup qualifier between British rivals Wales and Scotland at Anfield. A win for the former would all but see them qualify for Argentina ’78. In a pulsating match, the scores were still level in the 78th minute when Scotland striker Joe Jordan – under pressure from defending Wales stopper David Jones – blatantly punched the ball in the area. Unbelievably, the referee thought Jones had handled and awarded a Scottish penalty. Don Masson scored, Kenny Dalglish added a second in the closing stages, and it was Scotland who went to the World Cup.

5) Luis Suarez (Uruguay) v Ghana – 2010

The World Cup quarter-final between Uruguay and Ghana had already been rollicking entertainment as it headed towards a penalty shootout at 1-1, when Luis Suarez entered international infamy with a deliberate handball on the line in the 120th minute to claw away a certain goal.

Referee Olegario Benquerenca from Portugal duly pointed to the penalty spot, and red-carded Suarez for the offence. The Uruguayan striker departed from the field in tears, fearing that he had cost his side a place in the World Cup semi-finals. Little could he have known that he had saved them - literally.

Asamoah Gyan skied his penalty off the top of the crossbar, and set up a dramatic shootout victory for the South Americans which extinguished Africa's last hope in the first World Cup to be staged on the continent.

4) Karl Heinz Schnellinger (West Germany) v Uruguay - 1966

The South Americans were thumped 4-0 by the eventual finalists, but study this game a little closer and you will see a match filled with huge controversy. Uruguay had dominated the early part of the game and would have taken the lead but for a flying save from Germany defender Karl Heinz Schnellinger, who literally clawed the ball out of the top corner with his hands. Incredibly, English referee Jim Finney, waved play on.

The Germans went ahead through Helmut Haller and the game was delicately poised before Finney controversially sent off two Uruguayans in the second half. West Germany scored three times late on for a flattering scoreline. After the match, there were mass conspiracy calls. Back in South America, it was pointed out that the referee in the Uruguay game was English, while the official in England’s equally controversial quarter final against Argentina was German. The events surrounding the refereeing draw for these two games added further suspicions.

The representatives of Argentina, Uruguay, Spain and the Soviet Union were invited to a London hotel for the draw. They arrived on time, but found out that the draw had already been made without them, with the only witnesses being FIFA's English president Stanley Rous, a German representative, and a couple of Africans.

3) Djalma Santos (Brazil) v Czechoslovakia - 1962

Very few people know about this handball, so hopefully this Top 10 will reveal to the world just how infamous it should have been. With Brazil leading 2-1 in the final with just over 20 minutes to go, Brazil's greatest right back of all time, Djalma Santos, deliberately handled the ball in his own area.

The referee waved play on, a decision that infuriated the Europeans who lost their heads - culminating in a third goal for Brazil. The game ended 3-1 to the Selecao, and this controversial incident has since been almost completely forgotten about.

Not anymore - had a penalty been given, we could now be talking about Czechoslovakia as one-time World Cup champions.
 
2) Thierry Henry (France) v Ireland – 2009

Ireland’s World Cup playoff against France was delicately balanced as the tie moved into extra time in Paris, with the score 1-1 on aggregate.

Then, France striker Thierry Henry clearly handled the ball in the run-up to William Gallas's decisive equaliser on the night, but it was not seen by the referee or his assistants.

The goal stood and the Irish went out, causing a furore after the game. The FAI later made a request to FIFA that the match be replayed, but FIFA turned them down. Henry was lambasted, and even unsuccessfully offered a replay himself after FIFA had made their decision. The FAI even asked to be admitted as the 33rd nation in South Africa. Unsurprisingly this was rejected too.

1) Diego Maradona (Argentina) v England – 1986

The most infamous goal in World Cup history occurred during the quarter final of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico between Argentina and England. With the score locked at 0-0 six minutes into the second half, Maradona chased a miss-hit clearance by England midfielder Steve Hodge, jumped above goalkeeper Peter Shilton before flicking it past the veteran with the outside of his left fist. The referee failed to spot the infringement and Argentina took a one-goal lead. Minutes later, Maradona would score the ‘Goal of the Century’ after dribbling past half of the England team – Argentina would win 2-1 and go on to lift the World Cup.

After the quarter final Maradona said that the goal had been scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God,” also saying it was revenge for the Falklands War between England and Argentina four years earlier. The current Albiceleste boss became enemy No.1 on English shores following this incident and 24 years on he is still very much a hated figure.