Thierry Henry and 20 Infamous Handballs

Cheating is a deplorable offence in sporting competition, where the urge to gain the slightest edge over one's opponent drives athletes to go beyond the law at times.

In the world of football, there is perhaps no felony as deserving of harsh criticism as a handball, and Thierry Henry sits highly among a long list of candidates for the most controversial incident of this sort in history.

On the five-year anniversary of his 2009 offence against the Republic of Ireland during the 2010 World Cup playoffs, we take a look at some of the most criminal handballs to have occurred down the years.

The desire to win can often turn heroes into villains and villains into hated figures, but when success is on the line, even those most heralded figures can be drawn into palming their way to victory.

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JON SUPER/Associated Press

Not every handball in the sport is to be damned by critics; after all, ball to hand is a legitimate part of the game which can often lead to teams gaining an advantage, however unfair it may seem.

Here, we've included a mixture of those most devious offences, but others have made the cut based purely on comedy value, having not led to a player taking any notable edge as a result.

That being said, the bigger the fixture in which a handball took place and the glory that perhaps came from it makes an entry all the more likely to be considered.

Cheating is never funny, but sometimes one just can't help but crack a smile.

Thierry Henry: France vs. Republic of Ireland, 2009

The Republic of Ireland had one foot in the 2010 World Cup finals after making their way into a playoff fixture against France, but the illegal intervention of Henry saw their hopes dashed in the sourest of fashions.

With the ball heading out of play, the now New York Red Bulls striker handled the ball not once but twice before tapping inside to William Gallas, who struck to clinch a 2-1 aggregate win for Les Bleus.

The 104th-minute finish saw to it that the Irish missed out on their chance of a penalty shootout, and for all the valour shown across the two playoff legs, their dream was shattered thanks to Henry.

Following the offence, France's extra-time hero was candid in admitting his fault, per BBC Sport:

"

I will be honest it was a handball but I'm not the referee. ... I told [Richard] Dunne. He said the same to me, "you're not the ref". That's why the players did not come to me, that's why they went to the referee.

You can clearly see the opportunity. Sebastien Squillaci went to jump for the ball with two Irish players and I'm behind him. The next thing I know the ball hit my hand, my arm even. It was right in front of me, I played it.

The ref allowed it and that's a question you should ask him.

"

Official Martin Hansson was at an awkward angle to see the handball, but this sits as one of those occasions where advances in officiating have drawn the ire of many—namely those on the Emerald Isle.

As a result, the Republic of Ireland were kept from what would have been just their fourth-ever appearance at a World Cup.

Federico Macheda: Manchester United vs. Chelsea, 2010

Now attempting to carve out a reputation at Cardiff City, Federico Macheda's time in the Manchester United limelight is over, but there was a time where the Italian threatened even the likes of Chelsea.

Not always by the book, however. In a 2-1 defeat to the Blues four years ago, Macheda couldn't have been much more blatant in thrusting a Petr Cech tip into the net through use of his hands.

Like a scene out of Dragon Ball Z, the former Old Trafford starlet looked to have used both hands in pushing the ball past Chelsea's No. 1, although it still wasn't enough to bring United a result.

When quizzed about the incident in his post-match interview, Macheda offloaded much of the blame, inciting that he'd use any means to put the ball of the back of the net, rounding off with a simple, "I don't care."

Jeong Yeonga: Germany vs. South Korea, 2010

In a 2010 Under-20s World Cup meeting between the female representatives of Germany and South Korea, defender Jeong Yeonga showed a blip in judgement.

When a rebounded shot was sent into the heavens, rather than drop any risk and simply control the ball through natural means, the South Korea defender chose to clutch it with her mitts—while it was still in play.

After consultation with her assistant, the referee confirmed the claims of German striker Alexandra Popp and awarded the penalty, though just why such a lengthy debate between officials was needed is anyone's guess.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain/Kieran Gibbs: Chelsea vs. Arsenal, 2014

A severe case of mistaken identity earlier this year saw Andre Marriner send off Kieran Gibbs for a handball offence at Stamford Bridge.

The decision would have been perfectly fine, were it not for the fact Gunners team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the guilty party.

Jeff Stelling and the rest of the Gillette Soccer Saturday crew were left as bemused as the rest of us following Marriner's judgement. Oxlade-Chamberlain had handballed on the line to prevent another goal for the Blues, but Gibbs took his place in the book instead.

Following the controversy, Marriner apologised to Gibbs and owned up to his blunder and was quoted by a statement from Professional Game Match Officials Limited, which read, per BBC Sport:

"

Incidents of mistaken identity are very rare and are often the result of a number of different technical factors. Whilst this was a difficult decision, Andre is disappointed that he failed to identify the correct player. He expressed his disappointment to Arsenal when he was made aware of the issue.

"

Disappointed or not, in 2014, one would like to think one of the world's most advanced and respected leagues is beyond such comical errors.

Peter Abrahamsson: Orgryte vs. Hammarby, 2013

To lose your goalkeeper less than a minute into any fixture is a crippling blow to suffer. To lose your goalkeeper that early due to a handball as moronic as this is beyond humiliating.

Rushing out to meet a hopeful Hammarby lob during a Swedish league meeting in 2013, Orgryte No. 1 Peter Abrahamsson swiftly realised he'd misjudged the bounce, which was en route to flying over his head.

In such circumstances, any other stopper might swallow his pride, allow the ball to do its work and rush to get back in the hopes the opposition can't capitalise. Not Abrahamsson, though.

Despite being a good six to eight yards outside his area, Orgryte's guardian went ahead and fisted the ball with almighty confidence, his face worth a thousand words of the slip he'd just committed.

Raul: Real Madrid vs. Leeds United, 2001

Having scored more than 400 goals for Spain and Real Madrid, it's almost inevitable that one or two of Raul's career finishes may have been put away through contentious means.

Even for one so brilliant, the New York Cosmos striker sacrificed some of his morals when putting the ball past Leeds United in a 2000-01 Champions League meeting.

Officials were oblivious to the deceit, but Raul was punished after replay footage was examined, and as BBC Sport confirmed, he received a one-match ban and almost £8,000 in fines.

The handball is particularly poignant as Los Merengues would edge the encounter 3-2, although both teams would still progress to the next round of that season's European competition.

Steven Taylor: Newcastle United vs. Aston Villa, 2005

Guilt can make a man do terrible things, and despite the obvious nature of his deliberate handball in 2005, Steven Taylor tried with all his might to convince onlookers he had actually used his chest.

As the last defender on the line, the Newcastle United defender used cat-like reflexes to save Shay Given blushes—temporarily—and was swiftly rewarded with a red card.

Aston Villa would win the fixture 3-0, and while they may not have been laughing at the time, Taylor's efforts to dupe officials has gone down as one of the more hilarious reactions to a handball crime.

Joe Jordan: Wales vs. Scotland, 1977

Gaining an advantage through suspicious avenues is never the most applaudable of stunts. But during Scotland's qualification run for the 1978 World Cup, Joe Jordan was willing to do whatever it took to book his side a berth on football's biggest stage.

In 1977, the Scot helped seal a 2-0 victory for his side after it was actually a Welsh player pulled up for a foul inside the box just milliseconds after Jordan had kept a cross alive with an obvious punch.

The Welsh were left incensed to see that not only was Jordan not punished for his glaring fist—made a decent six or seven inches above his head—but that their fate was sealed in such bitter fashion.

Scotland would go on to seal their spot in the following year's World Cup finals, while Wales were left to watch on from home shores.

Michael Gspurning: Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rapids, 2013

Clearly unaware of the time and space he had to retreat back into his area during a 2013 MLS Western Conference knockout encounter, Michael Gspurning made one of those errors a top-flight goalkeeper just shouldn't do.

Colorado Rapids striker Edson Buddle was the player applying pressure on the Seattle Sounders' No. 1, but with his team 1-0 ahead in the closing stages of the fixture, Gspurning added a spice of doubt to the clash.

Explaining his actions to The Seattle Times' Joshua Mayers, Gspurning said:

"

Sometimes goalkeepers have to make decisions in split seconds. It happened on the other side with (Clint) Irwin and it happened to me. I just wanted to be ready if the ball is bouncing low. We talked about this at halftime — that they would chip the ball over the defense — and I wanted to be ready and make the step forward. Then it bounced a little higher than as expected, and I thought, "OK, I'm not too far from the box, so I should make a few steps back and catch it." I think I missed one step back.

"

It's fair to say it was a costly step. However, the Sounders would pull through to win the tie 2-0 and keep that season's MLS dream alive.

Abel Xavier: France vs. Portugal, 2000

Abel Xavier did the rounds as a football journeyman throughout the course of his 18-year career as a full-back, but perhaps the defender would have been better off turning his attention to goalkeeping.

For during a Euro 2000 clash against France, the Portuguese international kept his team in the semi-final thanks to some supreme agility in front of an open net, albeit against the rules.

With the referee's line of sight working in his favour, Xavier was able to convince officials and commentators alike that Sylvain Wiltord's tightly angled attempt had struck the post to go out—but Wiltord knew better than that.

With mere minutes left in extra time and his side trailing, Xavier can hardly be blamed for his actions, escaping any punishment as the match finished 2-1 to Les Bleus.

Luis Suarez: Uruguay vs. Ghana, 2010

A list of controversial football moments wouldn't be complete without a cameo from Luis Suarez, and the Uruguayan made one of his two contributions to our rundown in one of the most infamous World Cup handball moments.

During the quarter-finals of the 2010 edition of the tournament, Suarez's side were level with Ghana and had penalties in sight, except Suarez was on hand—no pun intended—to give the Africans their early chance from the spot.

Ghana could only watch as the Barcelona striker, then at Ajax, did what he had to to ensure La Celeste remained in the competition, which is precisely what they did after Asamoah Gyan fluffed his lines from 12 yards.

Suarez was left as the villain once again after his on-the-line offence, but Uruguay would care little as they marched into that year's semi-finals, Suarez absent through suspension.

Paul Scholes: Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Manchester United, 2008

The commentators weren't impressed; we certainly were.

Paul Scholes cut out a reputation for himself as one of the brightest geniuses in football at his prime, but during a European clash against Zenit St. Petersburg in 2008, he made an error of most idiotic nature.

With the clock ticking down and the Red Devils losing, a hopeful cross was batted into the net by Manchester United's maestro, who showed that if ever his football career was in doubt, at least there lay a future in volleyball.

The result: Scholes earned a second yellow card and was dismissed from the fixture, earning a Champions League suspension of the most needless variety.

Perhaps the best thing about this moment was John O'Shea's audacity to run up and celebrate with his team-mate, or perhaps the Irishman's sight just wasn't aware of what had really occurred.

Bruna: Australia vs. Equatorial Guinea, 2011

Equatorial Guinea defender Bruna made a most obscene error in judgement during a 2011 Women's World Cup encounter with Australia.

Presumably, the defender simply thought the ball had gone out of play and somehow rebounded back into her lap, or perhaps she just suddenly got fed up of playing.

Either way, Bruna caught the ball before realising her lapse in judgement and casually tossing it to one side. Equatorial Guinea played on, Australia were left bemused and that was all she wrote.

Luis Fabiano: Brazil vs. Ivory Coast, 2010

For a figure such as Luis Fabiano, going on a nine-month barren run in front of goal is no easy thing to endure, but the Brazil striker finally overcame his demons at the 2010 World Cup.

In his side's second group-stage fixture, the Selecao striker put all principles to one side, and in their place clutched the ball out of the heavens against the Ivory Coast in order to gain his advantage.

If that wasn't bad enough, he then tipped the bouncing ball into a superior shooting position, and although the Elephants were clearly aware of what had happened, officials were content with the goal scored as a result.

Former Sevilla star Fabiano has scored a lot of great goals over the course of his playing days, but this may not sit as his proudest moment.

Tim Howard: Everton vs. Chelsea, 2014

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The last example on our countdown of a goalkeeper getting his lines wrong comes courtesy of Everton stopper Tim Howard, who was fortunate not to be sent off in a defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

The pressure of facing a Premier League foe as mighty as the Blues is a big one, and the United States international showed his nerves when running to meet the opposition, clearly clinching the ball outside his area.

Chelsea's start to the 2014-15 campaign has been so stellar that they could afford such anomalies, and they eventually went on to win the match 6-3.

However, this would stick out as yet another example of judgement failing to be passed appropriately, Everton's bearded figure slipping away with a smirk.

Lionel Messi: Barcelona vs. Espanyol, 2007

Handballs happen to the best of us at times, so if Lionel Messi can be found guilty—or not found in this case—there may be hope for all of us yet.

Back in 2007, when the Barcelona man was still a budding superstar, Messi launched into a Superman-esque dive against Espanyol, an example of his whatever-it-takes attitude to make that essential difference in front of goal.

And "whatever it takes" is an appropriate term in this case, as replays clearly showed the ball was about a foot in front of Messi's forehead and yet somehow still made its way into the goal.

Given a certain other Argentinian's handball heroics (which we'll discuss later), Messi can hardly be blamed for wanting to mimic a compatriot of his in more than brilliance alone.

Luis Suarez: Mansfield vs. Liverpool, 2013

"Well that, I'm afraid, is the work of a cheat" were the words used to describe another of Suarez's handball examples, which came during the 2012-13 FA Cup meeting with Mansfield Town.

Some pointed out that with the ball popping up as it did, Suarez could do little to avert his arm, thus using the argument of ball-to-hand in their favour. Others would perhaps deservedly argue otherwise.

Against minnow opposition, one might think that such a cutthroat character on goal would be able to let up—even just slightly—against lower-league opposition.

No chance.

Christy Fagan: Drogheda United vs. St. Patrick's Athletic, 2013

As Jordan showed us earlier, handballs in the area can be used to win penalties, but St. Patrick's attacker Christy Fagan took the tactic took to a new level last year.

With the ball bouncing into his stomach at an awkward angle, the Dubliner handled the ball inside Drogheda United's area and yet somehow managed to convince referee Tomas Connolly it was a member of the opposition.

Fagan could only clap as his side were awarded a penalty for the action, later going on to triumph over their Irish foes 2-1.

Aras Ozbiliz: Armenia vs. Denmark, 2013

What's more embarrassing than kicking the flag while attempting a corner kick?

Answer: Proceeding to stumble onto the ground and handle the ball, a humiliation which Armenia's Aras Ozbiliz is rather uniquely familiar with.

In a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Denmark, the Spartak Moscow winger showed some improvements in depth perception may be required after he was tripped by the inanimate object.

What's worse is that Ozbiliz was promptly flagged up by the linesman for his shambles of a set piece, Armenia going on to lose the matchup 1-0.

Diego Maradona: Argentina vs. England, 1986

No one handball is as chronicled in football folklore as Diego Maradona's infamous offence against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals, dubbed "The Hand of God."

Maradona's deceit would help steer La Albiceleste past the Three Lions and eventually to the tournament's title, the Holy Grail of football somewhat tainted by once of the greatest controversies ever to occur on a pitch.

The first of Maradona's two goals in that fixture was made even more disappointing by the manner in which he netted his second, an elusive run of masterclass quality that would go on to become known as "The Goal of the Century."

Victim to the replay, Argentina's saviour admitted to his crime when speaking with the BBC's Gary Lineker.

As greatly impacting as Henry's handball was in preventing the Republic of Ireland from reaching the 2010 World Cup, Maradona's effectively kept his side in the 1986 World Cup. One might even go as far as to suggest it won them the competition—but then that might be cheating.