Football is a sport filled with some thrilling moments, unpredictable results - and unforgettable goals. However, it’s also had its fair share of embarrassing disallowed goals. We’ve all been there. We’ll never forget the Frank Lampard goal that should have been against Germany!

These moments, often a result of human error, technical glitches, or randomly bizarre situations, can leave us with our heads in our hands. Whilst they can be amusing, they’re not quite as funny if you have a bet on the result! You can look for the best odds, do your research on the game and know everything you need to know before you bet on football with Boylesports, but you can never prepare for dodgy decisions!

Here, we’ll look at some of the most cringe-worthy and so bad it’s funny disallowed goals in football history.

Pedro Mendes vs. Manchester United in 2005

In a 2005 Premier League clash between Spurs and United, Pedro Mendes attempted a long-range shot from near the halfway line. The ball sailed over United's goalkeeper, Roy Carroll and straight into the net. However, the referee and his assistant decided not to award the goal - despite the ball appearing to cross the line by quite a margin. This infamous decision is still talked about, even to this day.

Frank Lampard vs. Germany - 2010 World Cup

As we touched upon above, this one was an absolute shocker! During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, England was pitted against Germany in the Round of 16. Trailing 2-1, Frank Lampard unleashed a powerful shot that struck the crossbar and bounced behind the goal line by quite a margin before spinning back into play.

Astonishingly, the officials never awarded the much-needed goal, leaving England and their fans in disbelief. This is one of the incidents that added fuel to the ongoing debate about introducing goal-line technology.

Sulley Muntari vs. AC Milan in 2012

Inter Milan’s Sulley Muntari was playing in a Serie A match against AC Milan, when he unleashed a ferocious shot that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and seemed to all intents and purposes, to cross the line.

Surprisingly (or not), the referee didn’t award the goal, and the game played on. Replays clearly showed the ball crossing the line, but Inter Milan's appeals amounted to nothing.

Maurice Edu vs. Slovenia - 2010 World Cup

Another clanger in the 2010 FIFA World Cup happened in the group stage when the United States faced Slovenia. In a crucial moment, Maurice Edu scored what seemed to be a fairly solid goal for the United States from a set piece to take them ahead. However, the referee inexplicably disallowed the goal without providing any clear explanation at all - and the decision left everyone watching the game utterly bewildered.

Fredy Montero vs. Sporting CP in 2012

Fredy Montero's disallowed goal during a match between Sporting CP and Nacional in the Portuguese Primeira Liga even now remains a pretty puzzling and strange moment in football.

Montero's header seemed to everyone to have crossed the line, but the referee and his assistant decided otherwise. This incident was the perfect example of the challenges officials face in making split-second decisions on such close calls - and the mistakes they end up making as a result!

Marcelo vs. Valencia in 2013

In a La Liga clash between Real Madrid and Valencia, Marcelo (apparently successfully) attempted a long-range shot that hit the post and then bounced off the back of the goalkeeper, Diego Alves. The ball then seemingly crossed the line before Alves managed to recover it. However, sadly and somewhat shockingly, the goal was not awarded - and Real Madrid's players were left gobsmacked.

Didier Drogba vs. Tottenham Hotspur in 2012

Legendary Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba did what he did best - and scored a goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. However, the referee decided to disallow the goal due to an earlier foul.

The confusion arose because the referee initially decided to play the advantage and allowed play to continue. It was only when the goal was scored that he reversed his decision, leading to a highly unusual sequence of events.

Whilst football is ‘the beautiful game’ it can be beautifully embarrassing as well at times. These shocking disallowed goals are a reminder of why goal-line technology was introduced. Given that even with VAR and technology, good goals are still disallowed, we are left to wonder if there will ever be a solution - or will we be shaking our heads in disbelief forever?

Published by Patrick Jane
17.10.2023