These Scandals Shook FIFA, the NFL, and Countless Fans Around the World

Scandals have long been part of the story in both association football and American football, with many of these moments tarnishing reputations beyond repair. These controversies span more than a century, proving that no era of football has been immune to drama, including drama that has the potential to change the course of the game.

Both in soccer and American football, we couldn't help but find the greatest scandals and faux pas facing these sports. These incidents involve a variety of specific scenarios and people, from explosive personal controversies to systemic corruption at the highest levels of governing bodies. Here's how each and every memorable scandal shook out.

To compile this list of the most insane football scandals, 24/7 Tempo consulted reporting from ESPN, Forbes, and The Guardian, along with historical accounts and legal records from the U.S. Department of Justice. Here's how these sports have been altered by scandal and drama over the decades.

This post was updated on August 14th, 2025, to reflect additional information.

Football is the kind of event even wounded soldiers stand around to watch. This scandal involved Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford. It was Good Friday when the game was fixed. Instead of one team benefitting from the betting scandal, both did. Jackie Sheldon, Liverpool captain, is the one who set up the conspiracy, with teammates from both teams willingly joining him. Being that he was a former Manchester United player, Sheldon had the advantage and access to connect these two teams and set up a scandal that wouldn't soon be forgotten.

Argentina player Diego Maradona jumps higher than England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to score with his 'Hand of God' goal in the photo above. Why so controversial? Well, Maradona is an Argentinian football player who is supposed to use his feet to direct the ball. Using hands in this sport is against the rules of the association. Maradona even attempted to deny the use of his hand, despite all the witnesses and clear photographs capturing that fateful moment. The referee allowed the goal, making it one for the books. Over a decade later, Maradona admitted the intentional use of his hand in his memoir.

Paul Merson of Arsenal attacks the Nicosia goal with fervor and though that intensity is generally appreciated, with Merson, a drug use scandal shifted opinions. Instead of denying the drug use allegations, however, Merson faced the scandal head-on, admitting to having an alcohol and cocaine addiction. Though it was scandalous, Merson's admission resulted in the FA helping him so that he could enter a rehabilitation program. In this case, a scandal resulted in a miraculous recovery from the depths of addiction.

Antonio Conte, in the still above, became accustomed to celebrating Juventus. However, a scandal brought shame upon the team's name. Italy's most successful team had experienced loss after loss for nearly a decade. The club owners were understandably concerned and moved forward with massive changes to ensure the team's success. Things turned around for them. But was it all much too good to be authentic? Unfortunately, yes. In 2004, Italian courts sentenced several people, including Riccardo Agricola, a neuropathologist who supplied the team with performance-enhancing drugs, to 22 months in jail.

Former German soccer referee Robert Hoyzer, pictured above, was arriving at court on November 17, 2005 alongside his attorneys. This was the 10th day of hearings in Berlin, Germany. What was the whole scandal about? Well, Hoyzer accepted bribes in the form of monetary payments to fix football matches. He was found guilty of fraud. This was one of Germany's most shameful football moments. Hoyzer was incredibly manipulative during this time and ended up receiving a two-year sentence for fixing a total of four football matches. Hoyzer was then banned for life from the German football federation.

As if Italy's football scandal in 1998 wasn't enough, there was yet another Juventus scandal in 2006 that rocked the country. Luciano Moggi had the spotlight on him as the Juventus general manager, but he denied doing anything wrong. The allegations made against him and Antonio Giraudo, the Juventus chairman, were that they had detained Gianluca Paparesta, a referee, in a dressing room only to berate him with questions about why he didn't favor their team. Allegedly, they had selected a few favorable referees to fix their matches. Eventually, Moggi's defense lawyers came across evidence that would have prevented the handing over of the 2006 championship to Inter. Ultimately, Juventus wasn't asking for the Scudetto of Calciopoli back, but they did want to ensure that it was taken from Inter, as they felt it wasn't deserved by the opposing team.

Zinedine Zidane, a former French football player made one massive, anger-fueled mistake that ended his career as a player. It was the Germany 2006 final and Zidane was overtaken by rage when he shockingly headbutted Italy's Marco Materazzi. They had moved into overtime after a 1-1 lock and both players had seen a lot of each other up until that point. Materazzi made first contact with his arm against Zidane's chest. This was a normal occurrence for the sport, however. Zidane and Materazzi had some words, and Zidane's smile kept all viewers in an unassuming state. A split-second later, Zidane tucked his head and drove it into Materazzi's chest. He saw red from the referee and Materazzi went on to celebrate Italy's win.

French coach Raymond Domenech is pictured above just before the FIFA 2010 World Cup Qualifier. The Guardian calls this "one of the darkest days in the country's football history." Domenech faced humiliation as his players refused to show up for their regularly scheduled training. Their strike was a result of their solidarity with Nicolas Anelka, a French player who was sent home by the French Football Federation. Domenech and Anelka shared some unpleasant words in the dressing room and Domenech demanded an apology. Anelka refused and was consequently expelled from the team. Domenech had developed a reputation for making odd calls. It was known he had a pattern of alienating certain players and he ended up leaving his post just after the World Cup.

Ryan Giggs is no stranger to controversy. In fact, 11 years after the 2011 affair scandal, he had to seek legal counsel to defend himself against charges relating to his ex-girlfriend and her sister. However, in 2011, he destroyed his "family man" image when he had a seven-month affair with model and television host, Imogen Thomas. Thomas gushed about the affair, sharing details with a tabloid without revealing Giggs' name. However, it became clear whom she was speaking of, particularly because his legal team had put a gag order in place to stop further details from emerging. Giggs had been profiting from his clean, family man image and the affair scandal cost him—and not just his reputation. The scandal affected his pockets, too.

Luis Suarez of Uruguay reacts during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil in the photo above. You'd think a single biting scandal would prevent the player from using his chompers during football matches but alas, Suarez is a biter. Controversy follows this player as he's also been accused of cheating and displaying racist behavior. Suarez had already been suspended following two bites, yet still, in 2014, Suarez went ahead and bit Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during the World Cup, leaving a noticeable mark. The referee didn't catch it in the moment despite the glaring bite-sized evidence on Chiellini's shoulder.

Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema of France clashed with Scott Barker of England in 2012, demonstrating one aspect of their comradery. However, the 2014 scandal that rocked headlines highlighted a type of perverse comradery experienced off the field. In France, prostitution is legal but only if the sex worker is at least 18 years old. Additionally, the age of consent in France is 16 years old. However, Ribery and Benzema engaged with an underage prostitute, when she was 16 and 17 respectively. The two footballers made headlines during the time but a Paris court ended up dropping the charges.

Known as "Deflategate," the Tom Brady scandal involved deflated footballs. Essentially, the scandal centered around the New England Patriots, who were accused of deflating game footballs at Tom Brady's request. Apparently, he had a preference for slightly less inflated footballs because of the softer, easier-to-grip feel they afford. There was a surprise inflation check that seemed to confirm these suspicions and there were two years of investigation, which cost the National Football League over $20M. In the end, Brady was suspended for four games but the NFL faced criticism for the way it handled the event and their poor standards for discipline. Brady's reputation was hardly touched as he later went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The FIFA corruption scandal shone a light on the underbelly of the organization, highlighting several crimes, including money laundering, fraud, and bribery. The US Department of Justice confirmed that a total of nine FIFA officials were indicted on charges related to wire fraud, money laundering, and racketeering conspiracy. Attorney General Lynch was quoted as saying, "The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States." As a result of these events and the scrutiny placed on the organization, FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, resigned.

There have been whispers of Qatar buying votes so they could host the World Cup for years but it wasn't until 2022 that the US Department of Justice confirmed bribery on behalf of Qatar to FIFA to ensure hosting rights. It wasn't just Qatar that was investigated, but Russia too. Officials in Qatar were suspected of bribery and prosecutors also accused media executives and a marketing organization of money laundering and wire fraud. Though corruption has long been suspected, 2022 was the year that offered clarity on the inner workings of FIFA, revealing details that confirmed corruption.

Enzo Fernandez is pictured above rubbing his forehead at the 2023 Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Aston Villa. He looks disappointed, which is how he must feel following this most recent scandal. What happened, exactly? He sang a racist chant along with his Argentinian teammates that was directed toward the French national team. This singsongy chant also included some homophobic slurs. After the scandal, Fernandez issued a public apology, stating "I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my belief or character."