A World Cup qualifier helped ignite a real war between two countries
Tensions between El Salvador and Honduras over land and migration had been building for years when their 1970 World Cup qualifying matches in June 1969 turned violent, with riots surrounding each leg. Weeks later, El Salvador invaded Honduras; the fighting lasted about 100 hours and killed thousands before the OAS brokered a ceasefire. Football didn't cause the war, but it supplied the spark.