#7 Thierry Henry’s handball sends France to World Cup 2010
This one was truly scandalous and it remains a mystery how the referee didn’t spot it. France and the Republic of Ireland were facing off in a 2009 play-off match to determine which team would make the 2010 World Cup, and after France had won the first leg 1-0 in Ireland, the Irish needed to win in St. Denis to qualify.
A Robbie Keane goal midway through the first half meant Ireland had equalised on aggregate, and so the match went to extra-time. Late in the first half, Florent Malouda lofted a free kick into the box towards Thierry Henry, who controlled it with his left hand before poking a cross over for Gallas to nod home.
The replays made the illegal handball pretty obvious, and Henry himself admitted to the foul after the game. The referee allowed the goal to stand though and France were given their ticket to South Africa, despite a lot of protesting from the Irish FA, including the proposal of a rematch.
With video technology, there’s no way the goal would’ve stood and so it could’ve been Ireland, not France, who went to the first African World Cup.
