Running over with controversies: When Maradona and Robbie Williams managed to give plenty of drama off the field

In addition to the big teams like Germany, Portugal and Spain crashing out of the World Cup, there is plenty of other drama off the field. Here is a look at some of the talking points so far.

Singing the wrong chorus

Mexico’s stunning 1–0 win over Germany was one of the best moments of the World Cup. However, the jubilation was short-lived and was marred with controversies. FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Mexico after alleged anti-gay chants by fans. During the game, Mexican fans reportedly made homophobic chants directed at German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The crowd yelled ‘puto’ in unison, which is a derogatory term for a gay man. The Mexico Football Federation was fined around $10,000 for the discriminatory and insulting chants from the supporters.




On-ground politics

Three Swiss players were fined and warned for their celebratory hand gestures during Switzerland’s game with Serbia. Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqri and skipper Stephan Lichtsteiner made hand gestures of a two-headed eagle, which is supposed to represent the sovereign state of Albania. The players belong to the ethnic Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo — a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008 but is not recognised by Serbia.



Snapping shots

Egypt’s brightest football star Mohammed Salah sparked controversy after posing for a photo with Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov’s regime is accused of torture and extra-judicial executions and the image drew a lot of fire on social media.

Shortly after the photo op, Salah also received honorary citizenship of Chechnya, further infuriating fans and supporters.


Man of action
Argentinian legend Diego Maradona has been embroiled in controversies throughout the tournament. He was seen making rude gestures when the Nigerian team scored in a game against Argentina. Furthermore, British broadcasters wrote about Maradona making racist ‘slant eyes’ gesture, after smiling and waving to an Asian fan who called out his name.


Sign language
The opening ceremony of the 2018 World Cup in Moscow was already making headlines with news of Robbie Williams’s performance. The musician, who is a vocal LGBT activist, drew flak from around the world for performing in a country with outdated laws for the homosexual community. The former Take That member improvised the lyrics of his song Rock DJ and mouthed ‘I did this for free’ before flipping a bird towards the camera. The 44-year-old, who shocked the world, later revealed that he was ‘under a lot of pressure’ and had no idea why he did it.