On June 22, 2002, one of the most incredible and controversial moments in FIFA World Cup history took place during a quarter-final match between England and Brazil in Shizuoka, Japan. In the 42nd minute, England's midfielder David Beckham took a free-kick from about 30 yards out. As the ball curled towards the goal, England's midfielder Trevor Sinclair made a run into the box and attempted to head the ball, but missed. However, the ball continued its trajectory and seemingly crossed the line before Brazil's goalkeeper Marcos could catch it.

The English players celebrated, believing they had scored a crucial goal. However, the referee, Urs Meier from Switzerland, disallowed the goal, judging that Sinclair had fouled Marcos in the process. Television replays showed that there was minimal contact between the players, and many fans and pundits believed that the goal should have stood.

The decision proved pivotal, as the match ended 2-1 in Brazil's favor. Ronaldinho, who would go on to become one of Brazil's star players in the tournament, scored the winning goal early in the second half. England's coach Sven-Göran Eriksson later described the disallowed goal as a "turning point" and believed that England could have won the match and potentially the World Cup if the goal had been allowed.

The incident sparked widespread debate about the use of technology in football, with many calling for the introduction of goal-line technology to prevent such controversies in the future. It would be another decade before FIFA finally introduced goal-line technology at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The 2002 World Cup quarter-final between England and Brazil remains one of the most talked-about matches in the tournament's history, with the disallowed goal still a topic of discussion among football fans worldwide.