Has Every FIFA World Cup Been Fixed?

The paragraph discusses the FIFA World Cup's dual legacy, encompassing both remarkable sporting achievements and instances of corruption and cheating. It highlights infamous moments such as Maradona's 'Hand of God' and controversial decisions that have plagued the tournament since its inception in 1930. The speaker vows to scrutinize each World Cup for scandals and rate them for 'dodginess,' starting with the first World Cup in Uruguay, which faced challenges from the beginning, including last-minute participation from European teams and refereeing controversies.

This section delves into the 1934 World Cup held by fascist Italy, where dictator Benito Mussolini's alleged interference with referees cast a dark shadow. The narrative moves through various World Cups, including the 1978 tournament in Argentina, which was marred by the country's military dictatorship and further controversy due to questionable refereeing decisions. The speaker also touches upon the absence of major European teams in the early World Cups and the tragic Superga air disaster that impacted the Italian team in the 1950s.

The speaker discusses the 1958 World Cup, which despite a few notable absences, was one of the least controversial in history. It then contrasts this with the 1962 World Cup in Chile, which was marked by violence both on and off the pitch, including the infamous 'Battle of Santiago.' The paragraph also mentions the 1966 World Cup in England, which was tainted by controversies such as the disputed goal in the final and the ejection of Antonio Rattin.

The narrative moves into the 1970s, covering the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, which was relatively controversy-free on the pitch but marred by pre-tournament disputes that led to the 'Football War.' It then addresses the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, where allegations of match-fixing were made by a former FIFA president, and the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, widely considered the most controversial due to the political climate and numerous refereeing decisions that favored the host nation.

This section recounts the 1982 World Cup in Spain, which was overshadowed by a match-fixing scandal between Austria and West Germany at the expense of Algeria. The paragraph also covers Diego Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal in the 1986 World Cup and the general decline in quality and rise in red cards during the same tournament. The speaker reflects on the various controversies and the impact they had on the perception of the World Cup.

The speaker discusses the 1994 World Cup in the United States, which was relatively free of major controversies despite Diego Maradona's high-profile positive drug test. The narrative continues through to the 1998 World Cup in France, where rumors of match-fixing are dismissed as minor compared to past controversies. It also touches upon the 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, which was fraught with refereeing decisions that favored the hosts.

The paragraph covers the 2006 World Cup in Germany, which was tainted by a corrupt bidding process and several on-field controversies, and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which saw significant refereeing errors and the introduction of technologies like VAR. The speaker also addresses the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which had fewer controversies, and the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which was more scandalous off the pitch than on it. The current World Cup in Qatar is also mentioned, which, despite being the most controversial to date, has seen fewer on-field issues.

The speaker concludes by summarizing the 'dodginess' of each World Cup, providing a rating out of 10 for each. The 1934 and 1978 World Cups are highlighted as the most controversial, while the tournaments from 1958 to 2010 and 2018 are considered less controversial. The average dodginess rating across all World Cups is calculated to be 4.19 out of 10, suggesting that while no tournament has been perfect, most have not been as compromised as is often alleged.