The golden goal that sparked a worldwide football scandal

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: On 18 June 2002, South Korea stunned three-time champions Italy with a dramatic extra-time victory. While the golden goal was a feat of athletic brilliance, the match left the Italian press screaming 'Thieves!' and 'Shame!' as controversial officiating decisions cast a shadow over the tournament.

The round of 16 clash at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium was defined by the performance of Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno. While South Korea's Ahn Jung-hwan secured the 2–1 win in the 117th minute, the match was marred by several disputed calls. These included a yellow card for Italy's Francesco Coco in the 4th minute, a penalty awarded to South Korea, and a controversial red card issued to Francesco Totti in the 103rd minute after Moreno ruled he had dived.

The controversy extended to the officiating of other matches in the tournament. South Korea's path to the quarter-finals included a 1–0 win over Portugal where two players were sent off by referee Ángel Sanchez. Later, in the quarter-finals, South Korea defeated Spain in a penalty shoot-out after referee Gamal Al-Ghandour disallowed two Spanish goals. The cumulative pressure on officiating led FIFA to appoint European referees for the tournament's final four matches to restore credibility.

The fallout for the participants was significant. In Italy, the sports press reacted with fury, with La Gazzetta dello Sport labeling the exit 'Vergogna!' (Shame!). For Moreno, the repercussions were long-lasting; he faced investigations by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and was later suspended for twenty matches following a match in Ecuador. Meanwhile, Ahn Jung-hwan's heroics led to a complex legal dispute with his club, Perugia, which eventually saw him move to the Japanese J1 League for three years.

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