Dirty Handball Goal by France !!

French footballer Thierry Henry has admitted handling a ball before a crucial goal that sent his team to the World Cup at the expense of Ireland.

The goal drew the tournament qualifier in Saint Denis, outside Paris, 1-1.

Before the goal, Ireland had been leading 1-0 and the match was level on aggregate.

But in the first period of extra time, Henry twice handled the ball - stopping it going out of play, then controlling it - to set up his teammate William Gallas.

After the match, Barcelona striker Henry said Swedish referee Martin Hansson was the main culprit for not spotting the infringement.

The player said: "I will be honest, it was a handball. But I'm not the ref. I played it. The ref allowed it."

Pele – The Black Pearl

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) was born in the slums the tiny village of Três Corações, but ended up in the stars.

"I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music," Pele once said.

Arrogant? Maybe, but then the Brazilian 'Black Pearl' had the medals to back up his claims.

The superstar that won three World Cups, scored an unrivalled 1,283 first-class goals and went on to become the single biggest icon in the history of the world's football.
Although his young age (17-year-old) ,he helped Brazil win the World Cup, Four years later, Brazil won again, but Pele's tournament was curtailed by a torn thigh muscle in his side's second game against Czechoslovakia.

After a titanic struggle with England in the group stages - a game often described as the 'real' final - Brazil progressed to a meeting with Italy in the actual final.

Pele scored a superb header and set up two more in a 4-1 romp which remains the single most impressive team performance at a World Cup.

It was also Pele's last in the tournament: he retired from international football in 1971.

In our days Pele is doing an ambassadorial role with football's world governing body, FIFA, and a position as Brazil's minister for sport.