Thierry Henry's handball — France vs Ireland
What happened
In extra time of the second leg with the aggregate score level, Thierry Henry received a long ball and controlled it with his left hand — twice — before crossing for William Gallas to head home. The referee did not see the handball. The goal stood. France qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Henry later admitted 'I will be honest, it was a handball. But I'm not the referee.' The Football Association of Ireland requested a replay which FIFA rejected. The incident caused a diplomatic incident between France and Ireland.
Why the law says so
This was a deliberate handball — Henry clearly and intentionally used his hand to control the ball, not once but twice. Under Law 12, deliberately handling the ball is a direct offence. Additionally, Law 12 specifically prohibits scoring or creating a goal immediately after a deliberate handball. The goal should have been disallowed and a free kick awarded to Ireland. With VAR this would have been overturned immediately — the handball was visible on multiple camera angles.
Key factors
- ✓Henry deliberately handled the ball twice in quick succession
- ✓The ball would have gone out of play without the handball
- ✓The handball directly created the cross that led to the goal
- ✓Henry admitted it was handball after the match
- ✓With VAR this would be overturned in seconds — visible on all camera angles
- ✓Ireland were denied a World Cup place as a direct result