The great football handballs of all time

The clue in the name of the popular sport “football” is that the “ball” is generally manoeuvred with the “foot”, but sometimes this basic rule is shockingly overlooked.

Raul Ruidiaz’s winning goal for Peru against Brazil in last night’s Copa America match, which eliminated the Brazilians from the tournament at the group stage for the first time in almost 30 years, was allowed to stand despite being blatantly converted with the player’s hand.

As such, the Universitario forward joins a list of distinguished outfield players who proved to be just as lethal with their hands as with their feet…

Joe Jordan - Scotland v Wales, 1977
“That’s a handball if ever there was one. The referee is perfectly correct,” exclaimed the indignant commentator when Scotland were awarded a penalty in their crucial World Cup qualifier against Wales in 1977. And he was right, except for the fact it was Scottish striker Joe Jordan who had actually handled the ball rather than any of the Welsh defenders. The ensuing spot-kick was converted and Scotland qualified for Argentina ‘78 at Wales’ expense. If the Welsh knew they would have to wait for Gareth Bale to be born and mature into a man before they made it to a major tournament again, they would have been even more incensed than they were at the time.

Luis Fabiano - Brazil v Ivory Coast, 2010
You could forgive fans of Les Éléphants for sniggering at Brazil’s misfortune against Peru, because six years ago the Brazilians did a similar thing to them. Luis Fabiano deserves a special mention on this list for having the audacity to handle the ball not just one, but twice, on his way to netting against Ivory Coast in the 2010 World Cup.

Steven Taylor - Newcastle v Aston Villa, 2005
The funniest of all the handballs. After Magpies defender Taylor used his hand to deny Darius Vassell a certain goal at St James’ Park, he had the impromptu bright idea to pretend that he had instead been struck down by the ferocity of the striker’s effort. Either that or shot by a sniper in the stand. The referee was not impressed and duly sent Taylor off and awarded a penalty. It remains Taylor’s most memorable contribution to Premier League history.

Lionel Messi - Barcelona v Espanyol, 2007
The comparisons between Messi and the great Diego Maradona have persisted throughout the Barcelona star’s career, and on occasions the Argentine duo’s careers have converged to an uncanny degree. For instance, Messi has produced carbon copies of Maradona’s two famous goals against England. One was an exquisite mazy run against Getafe in 2007; the other was a downright outrageous handball against Espanyol in the same year.

Luis Suarez - Uruguay v Ghana, 2010
Some handballs are sneaky, others are clumsy, but Suarez’s effort in the 2010 World Cup quarter-final stands alone for being the most brazen and unashamed. With seconds of extra-time remaining, the Uruguayan striker momentarily reinvented himself as goalkeeper, deliberately fisting off the line to prevent Dominic Adiyiah scoring the goal that would have made Ghana the first African team to reach the semi-finals. When Asamoah Gyan missed the resultant spot-kick, the red-carded Suarez’s wild celebrations angered football fans around the world. Little did we know, it would be the tip of the iceberg.

Thierry Henry - France v Ireland, 2009
The France and Arsenal striker is known for the beautiful things he can do with his feet, but he showed another string to his bow inat the Stade de France in 2009. Henry expertly controlled the ball with his left ball before teeing up William Gallas to score the goal that denied Ireland a place at the 2010 World Cup. The Irish government were so incensed that they demanded a replay of the match. They’re still waiting.

Diego Maradona, Argentina v England, 1986
There are many things that make Maradona’s cheeky effort against Bobby Robson’s England in the Mexico 1986 World Cup the daddy of all handball goals. The importance of the game for one, the political context in the aftermath of the Falklands War for two, and the fact he was clearly proud of it for three. But the best part of all was Diego’s explanation. The phrase “the Hand of God” was so poetic that he had basically been forgiven for it.