Ghost goal
In Germany, the term "Phantomtor" usually refers to a Bundesliga "goal" awarded to Bayern Munich player Thomas Helmer in April 1994 against 1.
The "goal" had direct implications on the outcome of the competition at both ends of the table — had the Phantomtor not stood and the match finished 1–1, Bayern Munich would have ultimately lost out on the league title on goal difference and Nürnberg would have survived relegation by one point — and led to an official objection by FIFA because the German Football Association ordered the result to be annulled and the game to be replayed.
[3][4][5] After studying a series of still images of the incident, motion expert Dr. Mike Spann concluded that Micheľ had made the correct decision by signalling a goal.
In a 1993 Scottish Premier Division match between Partick Thistle and Dundee United at Firhill, the ball entered the goal and bounced back from the supporting stanchion after a close-range shot by Paddy Connolly.
Despite Partick defender Martin Clark catching the ball and handing it to goalkeeper Andy Murdoch, referee Les Mottram failed to award the goal or penalise the handball and waved play on.
[11][12] In 2018, at the same end of the same stadium, a similar incident occurred, with Partick Thistle this time being denied a legitimate goal due to the ball taking a deceptive bounce off the bottom of the net frame.
Bundesliga match between MSV Duisburg and FSV Frankfurt, when Christian Tiffert took a shot that hit the crossbar and landed 1.5 metres outside of the goal-line, yet was still awarded as a goal.
Conversely, during an English Championship game in August 2009, Crystal Palace's Freddie Sears put the ball in the net, hitting the stanchion at the back of the goal and bouncing out.
Another incident in England came in a Premier League game between Bolton Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers on 10 March 2012, when QPR's Clint Hill headed the ball in from close range.
Atkinson ruled the shot had crossed the line, although replays confirmed that several Tottenham players had successfully blocked the effort several yards in front of the goal-line.
[21] John Terry, the Chelsea player with the clearest view of the "goal" from his vantage point on the ground, admitted uncertainty: "I thought it hit me, if I'm honest.
With Wrexham down 2–0 at Kidderminster Harriers in a Conference Premier game, Cieslewicz burst into the penalty area and appeared to slot the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
[27] On 26 November 2017, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona kicked the ball towards Valencia CF goalkeeper Neto, but it passed by him and entered the goal by several inches.
[28] On 17 June 2020, the first day the 2019–20 Premier League resumed after its postponement from the COVID-19 pandemic, a free kick by Sheffield United's Oliver Norwood was carried over the goal line by Aston Villa goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, after a collision with his teammate Keinan Davis.
[29] Hawk-Eye, operators of the goal-line technology, issued an apology after the game, stating that the view of the cameras was occluded by the players and the goal frame.
[32] In the 1966 FIFA World Cup final played in London's original Wembley Stadium between England and West Germany, 11 minutes of extra-time had elapsed and the score was level at 2–2.
He consulted his assistant, Tofiq Bahramov; after a brief conversation in broken English, the Swiss referee awarded the goal to the home team.
Commentators such as Robert Becker of Kicker magazine accused the assistant of bias because the German team had eliminated the Soviets in the semi-final.
[35] In Germany, it led to the creation of the expression Wembley-Tor ("Wembley goal"), a phrase used to describe any shot that hits the crossbar, bounces on the ground and spins back into the penalty area.
On 13 June 1996, during the group stage match between Bulgaria and Romania, the ball of Dorinel Munteanu crossed the goal line by about one foot, after which it bounced back.
[44] Despite that, the incident caused significant embarrassment for UEFA and its president Michel Platini, who had argued several days prior that the goal-line official system that was introduced at the tournament would obviate any need for a technological solution.
[45] The following day, UEFA and its chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina admitted an error had been made and that Ukraine had been denied a legitimate goal,[45][46] and FIFA president Sepp Blatter called the use of goal-line technology "a necessity".
In the 88th minute, Román Torres scored for Panama to win the match, eliminating the United States and condemning Honduras to the CONCACAF-AFC play-off against Australia.
In the 92nd minute, with France leading 2–1, Italy's Raoul Bellanova scored a header, which was blocked by a French defender clearly over the line.
[59] In the second round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification for Asian teams, Qatar took on India in the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, in the final game of Group A in June 2024.
[60] India were leading 1-0 until the 73rd minute, when a header was saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the ball hit a Qatari attacker, and rolled out of play for what should have been a goal kick.
