5 Strangest Football Matches of All Time

PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis being escorted off the field
PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis being escorted off the field

#4 Kuwait vs France (1982)

President of Kuwaiti FA Prince Fahid infuriated with the referee's decision to allow the goal
President of Kuwaiti FA Prince Fahid infuriated with the referee's decision to allow the goal

Kuwait made their first and till date only FIFA World Cup appearance in 1982. They had a decent start as they drew their first match 1-1 with Czechoslovakia and were all set to play their second group game against France.

On 21st June 1982 Kuwait faced France at the Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid and thousands in the stadium along with millions around the World witnessed a bizarre moment unfolding before their eyes France were leading 3-1 and Alain Giresse scored to give the French an unassailable three-goal advantage; however, the Kuwaiti defenders had stopped playing as apparently they heard the referee Myroslav Stupar's whistle.

Stupar didn't give heed to the Kuwaiti defenders' complaints and stood his ground. Prince Fahid, president of the Kuwaiti FA then decided to take matters in his own hands and entered the field signaling his players to leave the pitch. The referee finally gave in to the pressure and disallowed the goal.

The game ended with a scoreline of 4-1 as Maxime Bossis scored in the 89th minute. The incident saw Prince Fahid fined for his actions and Stupar was banned from refereeing. Kuwait went on to lose their final game by 1-0 against England and was eliminated from the World Cup.

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