If you thought Diego Maradona’s ‘hand-of-god’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup, or Rivaldo’s theatrics against Turkey in the 2002 World Cup — when he fell to the ground holding his face after the ball had hit him on the knee — have been the worst of playacting at World Cups, think again.Over the years certain players have thrown away the opportunity with ill-advised moments of stupidity and downright disobedience. Some of them have continued playing in the World Cup finals, but not all were lucky. And all such acts have not happened on the field either.Ahead of the 1970 World Cup, England captain Bobby Moore was arrested after being accused of stealing a bracelet from a shop at Bogota, even as his side was getting ready for the Mexico competition in Colombia. Moore, a genuine role model for English sport, was soon cleared, but the incident left him and England red-faced.There was disharmony within the ranks of the Sweden squad when the World Cup was held in Japan and South Korea 32 years later. After arriving for the finals, infighting marred the Swedes’ preparations when Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg went against each other, hammer-and-tongs, during training after a flare-up following a challenge. The duo was probably taking off from where they had left off in the English Premier League.An internal dispute also put paid to Roy Keane’s World Cup participation that year when he and Ireland boss Mick McCarthy had an explosive bust-up which resulted in the then-Manchester United skipper taking an early flight home. The pair was at loggerheads after the outspoken captain criticised the Football Association about Ireland’s preparations for the tournament.Talented Slovenian midfielder Zlatko Zahovic fell out with coach Srecko Katanec after their opening match against Spain. The pair came to blows when Zahovic, then with Benfica, was substituted during the 3-1 defeat by Spain. He later apologised and Katanec announced he would quit after the tournament but the damage had been done. The playmaker was promptly packed off home and his absence ensured his teammates followed him after two matches.Scotland’s Willie Johnstone was sent home from the 1978 tournament in shame after testing positive for a banned substance. So was Maradona in 1994. The most controversial superstar in the history of the game aroused suspicion with a manic goal celebration after scoring against Greece in the USA World Cup. A subsequent drug test officially showed he had taken ephedrine and he was sent home immediately — one match short of a record 22nd finals appearance.Less sinister but equally ill-advised and definitely more bizarre was Ilunga Mwepu’s rapid rise to fame in 1974. With Zaire — the team that conceded 14 and scored none in three matches — 0-2 down against Brazil and the South Americans about to take a free-kick, Mwepu very randomly broke from the wall and blasted the ball upfield before the kick was taken. He received a booking and became a World Cup legend for all the wrong reasons.
