Most controversial World Cup game? The 'Disgrace of Gijon' remembered

The ‘Disgrace of Gijón’ took place on this day 40 years ago in what remains one of the most controversial matches to have graced the FIFA World Cup.

For those unaware, West Germany’s 1-0 win over Austria in the final match of Group 2 at the 1982 tournament in Spain proved to be so extraordinary that it changed the structure of the World Cup forever.

Now, the concluding games in each group are played simultaneously in order to avoid the shocking scenes that took place at El Molinón, which we will now unpack for you today, from ever happening again.

So, what’s the big deal? Well, the so-called Nichtangriffspakt von Gijón – translation: the non-aggression pact of Gijon – centred around West Germany and Austria playing out a result that both suited them.

And it all came at the expense of the tournament’s darlings, Algeria, who had produced a stunning 2-1 win over the Germans in the opening game of the group in what remains a historic World Cup shock.