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The World Cup is international football’s biggest and most glamorous showcase - when billions of fans across the globe follow the fortunes of either their home nation, or one adopted as their own.

With so many pairs of eyes fixated on the event, it's perhaps not surprising that some moments, whether on the field or off, lodge themselves in the mind long after the trophy has been held aloft.

As the next tournament approaches in Qatar, ����tv Bitesize takes a look at some of them - from royal pitch invasions to music stars with dodgy spot-kick skills.

Free kick calamity

When it comes to stopping the opposition scoring a dangerous free kick, Mwepu Ilunga decided to try something very different against Brazil in 1974.

Perhaps the Zaire defender had his team’s previous 9-0 defeat by Yugoslavia (a former state made up of six republics; Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina) on his mind.

Before the Brazil attacker had even had a chance to take free kick, Ilunga sprinted out of the defensive wall and booted the ball down the other end of the pitch.

At the time people wondered if he was trying to waste time and stop the scoreline getting too embarrassing (Zaire - now known as Democratic Republic of the Congo - were already 2-0 behind).

But Ilunga later explained he did it out of frustration. It later emerged the team believed they may not be paid for their appearance at the tournament.

“I did that deliberately,” he said in 2010. “I was aware of football regulations. I did not have a reason to continue getting injured while those who will benefit financially were sitting on the terraces watching.”

He had hoped to have been sent off as an act of protest, but the referee decided a yellow card was enough punishment. Brazil eventually won the game 3-0 and Zaire finished the tournament with no points.

Suarez’s shocking save

As a top striker Luis Suarez is best known for putting the ball into the net - not keeping it out.

But at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the former Liverpool and Barcelona star made headlines for a spectacular save.

With his country Uruguay in danger of going out of the competition in extra time against Ghana, Suarez stopped a goal for the African side by punching the ball off the line.

He was immediately sent off and Ghana were given a penalty, but they missed and went on to lose the eventual penalty shoot-out.

It meant that Uruguay went through to the semi-finals and Ghana had to fly home.

By Royal Intervention

It takes a lot to change a referee’s mind, but a member of royalty appearing on the pitch can be convincing.

That’s what happened during a game between tiny Persian Gulf nation Kuwait and France at the Spain World Cup in 1982.

Already losing 3-1, there was confusion among Kuwait’s players when Spain scored a fourth goal. They claimed they had stopped playing before the ball went in because they thought the ref had blown his whistle. The noise had actually come from the crowd, and Kuwait said it was unfair.

As they spoke to the official, Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah - also known as Prince Fahid - a member of the Kuwaiti royal family, also headed onto the pitch. The ref then decided the goal would not stand. France still won the game.

Singing star’s big miss

Diana Ross is one of the world’s biggest music stars, who paved the way for future singers like Beyoncé to go from best-selling girl bands to huge solo success.

She has sold millions of records, acted in movies and performed at Glastonbury - but when it came to taking a penalty in the opening ceremony of the 1994 USA World Cup, her magic touch momentarily vanished.

Watched by then President Bill Clinton, she was supposed to kick a ball into the goal, which was designed to deliberately pull apart as if broken by the power of her strike.

Things had already started badly when TV star and author Oprah Winfrey, the presenter for the ceremony, fell onstage, right after introducing Diana in front of the sell-out 67,000 crowd.

Then, while singing one of her hits and wearing high heels, Diana confidently approached the ball but her mis-kick went noticeably wide.

The goal still came apart as fans watching on TV around the world chuckled and Diana probably decided to give football a miss in future.

This article was published in November 2022.