Sixty years later, England supporters still argue about it, and Germans still swear it was never in.
Wembley, the 1966 World Cup Final, England and West Germany level at 2-2 in extra time. In the 101st minute Geoff Hurst smashed a shot against the underside of the crossbar. The ball came down. Did it cross the line?
The linesman, Tofiq Bahramov from Azerbaijan, said yes. The referee, Gottfried Dienst, agreed with him. England were 3-2 up, went on to win 4-2 and lifted their first and only World Cup.
Hurst then added a fourth in the dying seconds to complete his hat-trick, which at least removed any argument about the final score.
Was Hurst's goal over the line?
Modern video analysis suggests the ball never crossed the line in its entirety. England supporters say it was in, Germans say it was out, and the technology leans towards the Germans. The result stands regardless. England are still the 1966 champions.
The decision did wonders for Bahramov. He became a national hero in Azerbaijan, and the country's main stadium is named after him. Few linesmen have a stadium to their name. Fewer still earned it with one flag.
It remains the most debated decision in World Cup history, and the debate is part of the appeal. Nobody will ever settle it to everyone's satisfaction, and in truth nobody really wants to.
Tomorrow: number 23.
