Aksel Kryhlmand
Sport is often held up as a celebration of human spirit and perseverance, but it also has a dark underbelly.
Sport is often held up as a celebration of human spirit and perseverance, but it also has a dark underbelly. From doping rings to deliberate foul play and corruption at the highest levels, history is rife with controversies that have tarnished reputations and shaken the foundations of competition. These are the ten most infamous sporting scandals ever recorded.
10. The Fall of a Golfing Icon
On Thanksgiving 2009, Tiger Woods’ carefully maintained image imploded. His wife, Elin Nordegren, discovered his infidelity and chased him from their home, reportedly with a golf club. What began as suspicion quickly snowballed into a media frenzy, revealing numerous affairs with escorts, porn stars, and waitresses. The scandal coincided with a sharp decline in his golf performance; Woods has not won a Major since 2008, despite previously dominating the sport.
9. Operación Puerto
A 2006 police raid of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes’ properties uncovered 211 blood bags and implicated dozens of athletes in a major doping ring. While cyclists bore the brunt of the fallout, Fuentes claimed other sports were involved, including football, boxing, and tennis. A judge’s decision to destroy remaining evidence protected many identities, but suspicions lingered over major clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona. It remains one of sport’s great unresolved scandals.
8. FIFA
The governing body of world football saw its darkest day in 2015 when 14 FIFA officials were indicted for corruption, bribery, and fraud. Investigations revealed millions were exchanged for the awarding of World Cups to South Africa (2010), Russia (2018), and Qatar (2022). The scandal reached as high as then-president Sepp Blatter. With FBI and Swiss criminal inquiries ongoing, FIFA’s reputation is still recovering.
7. The Mitchell Report
In 2007, U.S. Senator George Mitchell released a report accusing 89 Major League Baseball players of using performance-enhancing drugs. The findings implicated stars like Roger Clemens and Miguel Tejada and uncovered a widespread culture of doping. The report changed how MLB handled drug policy, leading to stricter penalties and increased testing in an attempt to cleanse the sport.
6. Floyd Landis
In 2006, American cyclist Floyd Landis staged a remarkable comeback to win the Tour de France, only to test positive for synthetic testosterone. Initially denying any wrongdoing, Landis eventually admitted to doping. His testimony and whistleblowing later contributed to the downfall of Lance Armstrong, exposing systemic cheating within professional cycling.
5. Bloodgate
During the 2009 Heineken Cup quarter-final, Harlequins player Tom Williams faked a blood injury to allow a substituted player to re-enter the match. The incident led to bans for players and staff, including a three-year suspension for director of rugby Dean Richards. It exposed a win-at-all-costs mentality and stained rugby’s honour code.
4. The Hand of God
Diego Maradona’s first goal in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England remains one of football’s most controversial moments. Using his hand to punch the ball into the net, he later cheekily claimed it was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” Despite the blatant foul, the goal stood, and overshadowed his later solo masterpiece, voted “Goal of the Century.”
3. Harding vs. Kerrigan
In a plot worthy of a soap opera, American figure skater Tonya Harding was implicated in an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan ahead of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Kerrigan was struck in the knee in an attempt to incapacitate her. The incident led to Harding’s lifetime ban from amateur competition. Despite Kerrigan’s injuries, she won Olympic silver, while Harding’s reputation never recovered.
2. O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson was once one of America’s most celebrated football players. That changed in 1994 when he was charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. The subsequent trial was dubbed “The Trial of the Century,” captivating the U.S. and laying bare deep racial divides. Though acquitted criminally, Simpson was found liable in a civil trial and ordered to pay $40 million.
1. Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong was a symbol of resilience, overcoming cancer to win seven consecutive Tour de France titles. But in 2013, he admitted to years of doping, including EPO and blood transfusions, during an interview with Oprah Winfrey. His confession devastated fans and obliterated his legacy. The revelation shed light on an era of widespread cheating in professional cycling, where clean victories were the exception, not the norm.