Shadiest moments at the 2018 World Cup

The history of the World Cup is littered with controversial and downright terrifying moments, but what separates the 2018 World Cup from the ones that came before it was that it began causing controversy long before a ball was even kicked.

A quick recap: Russia won the right to host the tournament in 2010, beating out strong bids from England, Holland, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, but the Russian victory was marred by allegations of corruption. Even former British prime minister David Cameron openly accused Russia of buying the vote. The Russians were exonerated after a lengthy investigation by a U.S. prosecutor reported no "undue influence" during the voting process.

All of this drama was soon forgotten when the tournament itself finally got underway in June 2018, bringing with it a whole new batch of controversies. From shocking instances of racism, homophobia, sexism, and even assault to bizarre goals and advertising campaigns, these are the shadiest moments at the 2018 World Cup.

Fast food giant Burger King faced widespread backlash after it used social media to offer Russian women a free lifetime supply of Whoppers if they managed to get pregnant by a World Cup star during the tournament. According to Sky News, the post urged local ladies to seek out "the best football genes" so their offspring would "ensure the success of the Russian team for generations to come."That offer was particularly inflammatory in Russia because this wasn't the first time the notion of Russian women hooking up with tourists has been up for debate there. Tamara Pletnyova, head of the country's parliamentary committee on children and families, urged Russian women not to enter into relations with foreigners during the World Cup unless they want to raise a child alone. Her colleague, MP Mikhail Degtyaryov, had the opposite view: "The more love stories we have connected to the world championship, the more people from different countries fall in love, the more children are born, the better," he said.Burger King responded by removing the post from social media and apologizing for the uproar. "It was too offensive," a spokesperson saiRead More: https://www.nickiswift.com/126822/shadiest-moments-at-the-2018-world-cup/?utm_campaign=clip

The English people put their lives on the line to fight the rise of Nazism in Europe during World War II, which makes this video of England fans doing Nazi salutes in Russia all the more shocking. Filmed in a bar somewhere in Volgograd (the location of England's opening game and the site of the WWII battle of Stalingrad,) the clip shows a handful of white Englishmen singing songs about Auschwitz and using anti-Semitic slurs, all while giving the controversial salute."We strongly condemn the actions of the people in this video," the English Football Association said in a statement (via Sky Sports). "We are working with the relevant authorities, including the UK Police investigations team, who are making enquiries to identify the individuals involved and take appropriate action. The disgraceful conduct of the individuals in this video does not represent the values of the majority of English football fans supporting the team in Russia."Read More: https://www.nickiswift.com/126822/shadiest-moments-at-the-2018-world-cup/?utm_campaign=clip