The 5 Most Digusting Moments In World Cup History
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The 5 Most Digusting Moments In World Cup History

The World Cup has thrown up plenty of memorable moments down the years, but most fans would probably rather forget these five incidents.

Featuring spit, vomit, urine, bogeys and a bit of defecation thrown in for good measure, these are the five grossest things to ever happen in a World Cup.

And they’re liable to make you gag, so don’t say you weren’t warned!

5. Joachim Low picks his nose

Low's bogey-picking antics started back at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He doubled down on the dirty habit four years later in Brazil, at one point picking his nose before offering his hand to Cristiano Ronaldo as he left the pitch.

It got even worse at Euro 2016 when Low was caught not only playing with his balls on camera but also doing something unsavoury with his bum hole. "It was adrenaline and concentration. It happened. I’m sorry," the Germany manager later claimed. Whatever you say, Joachim...

4. DeMarcus Beasley pees on the pitch

US international DeMarcus Beasley didn't make much of an impact on the Premier League during a short loan stint with Manchester City but did earn a special place in World Cup history thanks to this astonishing bit of piss-taking - and we mean that quite literally.

Warming up to come on against Mexico in the second round at the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea, Beasley decided to relieve himself at the side of the pitch, with the world watching on. Did he forget that there was a toilet in the nearby changing rooms?

3.  Frank Rijkaard spits in Rudi Voller’s mullet

While England considers Germany to be their greatest footballing foes, Die Mannschaft arguably view their ongoing rivalry with Holland as the more vitriolic of the two. That was evident when the Dutch faced off against West Germany at the 1990 World Cup in a bitterly fought contest.

A bad-tempered affair, that came two years after Ronald Koeman celebrated victory over the Germans at Euro '88 by pretending to wipe his arse with one of their shirts, Frank Rijkaard was front and center with a series of uncompromising tackles that came as part of running battle with Rudi Voller.

Things eventually came to a head between the pair, who became embroiled in a penalty box altercation that resulted in red cards for both. Rijkaard had the last word, or last spit, though unleashing the most almighty of flobs on Voller's shimmering mullet as they left the pitch.

2.  Lionel Messi vomits on the pitch

The World Cup final represents arguably one of the biggest matches in world football and, as such, those involved are entitled to be a little nervous as they stand on the edge of greatness.

Even so, fans were shocked to see Lionel Messi spewing his guts up during the 2014 final against Germany. It wasn't the first time the Argentine had been caught being sick on a pitch though and the Barcelona maestro was keen to stress it wasn't down to nerves.

"I ate badly for many years: chocolates, fizzy drinks, and everything," he said, more recently. "That is what made me throw up during games. Now I look after myself better. I eat fish, meat, salads. Everything is organised and taken care of."

1. Gary Lineker poos himself

Paul Gascoigne may have grabbed the headlines and tugged at the heartstrings during Italia '90 but, as years have gone by, Gary Lineker has emerged at the centre of the tournament's talking points. Those discussions don't have anything to do with the goals he scored either - it's more about the fact he ended up defecating on the pitch during the group stage clash with the Republic of Ireland.

"I was not very well, I was poorly at half-time but I carried on," Lineker later recalled. "The ball went down the left-hand side, I did try to tackle someone, I stretched and then I relaxed myself. I was very fortunate it rained that night and I could do something about it. It was messy, it just came out, it happened. How much detail do you want?

"It's true; it was the opening game of the 1990 World Cup against the Republic of Ireland. You can see me rubbing the ground like a dog; it was the most horrendous experience of my life, but I tell you I never found so much space in a game than I did that night after that happened."

Lineker has been hounded by fans online ever since, with one going as far as to send him a turd in the post every month. A touch too far, perhaps?