The Biggest Moments in Soccer History

Those who know nothing about the sport can witness significant moments in football history. Whether it was Michael Jordan’s “flu game” or The Miracle on Ice, these incidents and match-ups are indelibly etched into history. Far beyond their immediate significance, these moments have impacted sports more broadly as they continue to shape how people view what a game ought to be. Here are the most significant moments in football history:

Diego Maradona’s “Hand of ‘God’ Goal

The goal most easily recognized as one of the biggest in football history would be Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal match. The high ball cleared a slew of English players and headed for an English defender, who Maradona beat with his hand. The referee didn’t see it, but everyone else did.

Italian Star Roberto Baggio’s Finale Penalty Miss

If a player misses a penalty kick in the World Cup Final, his legacy is likely to be defined. That was certainly the case with Roberto Baggio, who missed the decisive penalty in the 1994 World Cup final. Despite playing against Brazil’s Paulinho, Baggio’s shot skewed horribly to the right, denying Italy their first and only World Cup title.

Paolo Di Canio Pushes The Referee

Sportsmanship is a cornerstone of the game, which is undoubtedly the case for Paolo Di Canio. The 1990 World Cup final between Germany and Argentina featured several incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct, but none more notable than Di Canio shoving the referee in frustration after being rejected by Diego Maradona.

Zidane Headbutts Marco Materazzi

If there’s one play that has defined the rivalry between rivals France and Italy, it’s Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup match. The incident was almost anticlimactic, considering that Zidane had already scored to give France a 5-3 lead over Italy at halftime. In addition to being an indisputable moment in World Cup history, it marked the first time an opposing player headbutted an Italian player.

Robin Van Persie Becomes The Flying Dutchman

Robin Van Persie’s flying header against Spain was the Netherlands’ sole highlight during the 2010 World Cup, which they lost to Spain. It remains one of the most famous goals in World Cup history, as Van Persie scored off a corner. The goal also became famous for using “The Flying Dutchman,” an animated superhero popular in both Netherlands and Belgium at the time.

About Karl Motey

Karl Motey works as a business consultant and corporate development executive in the San Francisco Bay Area. Motey is a transformational leader, growth strategist, and expert in corporate development! Motey has conducted research and analysis over more than one hundred companies in the systems and software industries. Motey prides himself on his investor relations and strategic partnerships.

Karl Motey earned his Business Associates Agreement in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. From there, Motey began working as a Strategy Consultant/ Business Development Specialist from 2009 to 2014. In this role, Motey led acquisition efforts and drove merger integrations. Motey’s specialty was negotiating contracts that resulted in significant savings for the companies.

Throughout his career, Karl Motey has worked hard to form strategic partnerships, investor relationships and more. Motey has become highly experienced with and skilled at communications, risk management and analysis, valuation, negotiations, new business initiatives, and joint ventures.

Karl Motey is a transformational leader and strategic thinker with a wealth of experience in mergers and acquisitions. Motey is highly skilled at increasing revenue, profit, and growth for companies.

Presently, Karl Motey serves as an independent Business and Corporate Development Consultant in Los Altos, California. In this role, Motey collaborates with emerging growth companies and supports all of their business development strategies. When Motey is not hard at work, you can find him spending time outdoors with his children.