7 World Cup Soccer Goals That Shouldn't Have Happened

by Spencer Toth - 5/26/2026

The FIFA World Cup has produced more than 2,700 goals across the 22 previous tournaments, with more than 1,300 players finding the back of the net in that span. Some were exceptional passing sequences, others were incredible strikes from distance that changed history. While every goal counts the same, not every goal is remembered for the right reasons. Some were blatant mistakes that somehow counted, and others were own goals, goalkeeper errors, or controversial decisions.

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These are the moments that turned World Cup history on its head. One bad call or brutal mistake can define legacies, and players have to wait four long years before potentially getting a chance to make amends. These goals should not have happened, yet decades later, we can still look back and wonder how history may have been changed had these goals not counted. Here are five goals that should not have happened, with a pair of disallowed goals that should have been put on the board.

#1 Diego Maradona- Hand of God vs England, 1986

The ‘Hand of God’ is the ultimate World Cup goal that should never have happened. Argentina and England were deadlocked at 0-0 in a tense quarterfinal when Diego Maradona took matters into his own hands. Literally. Five minutes into the second half, Maradona jumped with goalkeeper Peter Shilton and punched the ball into the net with his left hand.

What makes the goal so infamous is how obvious it became on replay. Maradona stood at just five foot five, seven inches shorter than Shilton, and had no realistic chance of winning the ball with his head. Despite that, the referee allowed the goal to stand, giving Argentina the first goal of the game. Four minutes later, Maradona scored the “Goal of the Century” after collecting the ball from his own half and dribbling through several English players to make it 2-0. Argentina went on to win the match 2-1 en route to lifting the World Cup one week later.

The controversy was even sharper because of the political backdrop between Argentina and England after the Falklands War. For English fans, this was the greatest World Cup injustice in written history, and it robbed them of a chance to break their World Cup drought. For Argentina, it became part of Maradona’s myth. One illegal goal, one genius goal, both from the same player, pretty much sums up Maradona’s career.

#2 Geoff Hurst- Ghost Goal vs West Germany, 1966

Geoff Hurst’s second goal in the 1966 World Cup Final remains one of the most debated goals in football history. England and West Germany were tied 2-2 in extra time, and the tension could not have been higher. Hurst turned and fired a shot off the bottom of the crossbar, which sent the ball hurtling towards the goal line. It appeared to bounce off the goal line before being cleared away. However, after consulting with the linesman, the referee awarded the goal, giving England a crucial 3-2 lead.

England went on to win the match 4-2, with Hurst completing the only hat trick by a player on the winning side in a World Cup Final. The third goal, and the ultimate game-winner, is still hotly contested to this day. Did the ball go in? Was West Germany robbed? Depending on your angle and bias, the answer changes. Long before VAR, goal-line technology, or even definitive replays, this was the original World Cup controversy. A split-second decision changed the trajectory of both of these nations and ultimately gave England its first and only World Cup title.

#3 Andres Escobar- Own Goal vs United States, 1994

Andres Escobar’s own goal against the United States is one of the saddest goals in World Cup history. The expectations were high for Colombia heading into the 1994 World Cup after they went undefeated in qualifying. However, those were immediately shattered when they lost the opening group stage game to Romania before taking on the United States with their tournament life on the line.

In the 35th minute, American midfielder John Harkes crossed the ball into the box, and Colombian defender Andres Escobar deflected the ball into his own net. Escobar was distraught, and Colombia went on to lose the game 2-1, effectively eliminating them from the tournament. It was not a refereeing error or scandalous handball, but simply the kind of defensive mistake that could happen to anyone. Colombia’s elimination turned what should have been a promising tournament into a national disaster.

After returning home, Escobar was murdered in Colombia. The own goal became linked with one of the darkest stories in World Cup history. It was not a goal that should not have counted, but rather a goal that never should have existed due to the pain and consequences attached to it. Escobar’s own goal is a haunting reminder that World Cup mistakes can echo far beyond the pitch.

#4 Carlos Tevez- Offside Goal vs Mexico, 2010

Carlos Tevez scored one of the greatest goals of the tournament with his 52nd-minute strike to make it 3-0 for Argentina, but not before he scored one of the most controversial goals of all time. With the score still tied at 0-0, Carlos Tevez burst onto goal for a clear-cut chance. Mexican goalkeeper Oscar Perez came out and made the save, while Tevez’s momentum carried him into the six-yard box, far beyond the goalkeeper and any Mexican defenders. Lionel Messi chipped the rebound into Tevez, and the Argentine striker made no mistake, heading the ball into the open goal. The only problem? Tevez was clearly offside.

The decision was missed on the field, and the goal stood. What made it worse was that the replay was shown in the stadium moments later, meaning players and fans could instantly see the egregious refereeing error. Argentina ended up winning the match 3-1, but the first goal still overshadows the game. It wasn’t a marginal call of freeze-frame debate. It was as clear an offside call as you will ever see and remains one of the most infamous missed calls in World Cup history.

#5 Clint Dempsey- Robert Green Howler vs England, 2010

Clint Dempsey’s goal against England should have been a routine save for Robert Green. England were leading the Americans 1-0 before Dempsey mishit a long-range effort from outside the area. It was a tame effort that dribbled along the ground and was sent right down the middle at Green. The English goalkeeper got behind it, crouched down to pick it up, then disaster struck. The ball slipped through his hands and slowly rolled across the goal line, giving the United States a crucial equalizer.

This goal should never have happened, as Green makes that save 999 times out of 1,000. For him to make the biggest error of his career, on the biggest stage in the world, turned out to be an unforgivable mistake. Despite that being the only goal conceded from Green in the match, he was promptly dropped and didn’t see the pitch again in the World Cup. England still escaped the group stage before being bounced by Germany in the knockout round, but this infamous goal turned out to be the defining moment of Green’s career.

#6 Ao Tanaka- VAR Controversy vs Spain, 2022

Since VAR has been introduced in the World Cup, the number of controversial goals has been dramatically reduced. Tevez, Maradona, and Hurst would have had their tallies erased, but the new video technology did not eliminate controversial decisions.

With Spain and Japan tied 1-1 early in the second half, Kaoru Mitoma chased down a long cross and chipped it back into the six-yard box. Ao Tanaka finished off the chance, sending the Japanese team into a wild celebration. The only issue? The ball appeared to have crossed the end line before Mitoma chipped it back into the area. After a long VAR review, the goal stood and turned out to be the game-winner. Japan took top spot in the group with the victory, sending Spain into second and giving third-place Germany an early group stage exit. The freeze-frame debate is still alive to this day, as we will never know for sure whether or not the ball stayed in play.

#7 Frank Lampard- Non-Goal vs Germany, 2010

Frank Lampard’s strike against Germany in 2010 is the reverse version of the rest of this list, but it felt wrong to leave it out. It was a goal that absolutely should have counted, but somehow it did not. England were trailing Germany 2-1 in the Round of 16 when Lampard hit a brilliant shot from distance. Manuel Neuer had no chance to make the save as the ball struck the underside of the crossbar. It bounced well over the line, we are talking about a few feet, before bouncing up and hitting the crossbar again, where Neuer collected the ball on the goal line.

Everyone saw it. The replays made it obvious, but the on-field officials did not award the goal, and there was no video review to save the day. Instead of the match being 2-2, Germany kept the lead, England collapsed, and lost 4-1. Lampard’s shot was one of the driving forces behind goal-line technology, alerting the referee’s watch when the ball crosses the line. It is tragic for English fans that it took an error of this magnitude for the technology to be put in place, but it still makes this one of the most important World Cup goals that never was.

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Start:	May 26, 2026 @ 10:00 PM
Expert:	Craig Trapp
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7 World Cup Soccer Goals That Shouldn't Have Happened

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