Was Ronaldinho's goal against England in 2002 World Cup a fluke? 20 years on, debate continues

It's been 20 years since the legendary Ronaldinho chipped David Seaman to help Brazil defeat England 2-1 in their quarter-final clash at the 2002 World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan. However, it still hurts for England fans who think about that goal, with some standing firm that it was a mere 'fluke'. 

On June 21, Sven-Goran Eriksson's team hoped to beat Brazil. The Three Lions had a fantastic lineup that included Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham, and Michael Owen, but they were no match for Luiz Felipe Scolari's future champions. Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, Gilberto Silva, and Ronaldo led the South American nation to its fifth World Cup crown.

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However, there was a brief period during the quarter-final in Fukuroi when England seemed to have a chance to stun the world. In the first half, Owen capitalised on an unusual error by Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Lucio to put the underdogs up 1-0. Just before the interval, Rivaldo equalised for Brazil.

In the second half, England looked like they would make it to their semi-final to face Turkey. Their expectations were dashed, however, when Ronaldinho put the ball 40 yards from the goal.

He was supposed to hurl it into the centre of the box, where a fellow compatriot would attack it. However, the Brazilian curled a shot into the top corner, chipping an unsuspecting David Seaman to score one of the most famous World Cup goals ever. Millions of people throughout the world were stunned by what had just occurred.

Though Ronaldinho was handed a red card moments later for stamping on Danny Mills, it didn't matter because Brazil registered a 2-1 win. After a 1-0 win over Turkey, they defeated Germany 2-0 in the Yokohama final.

Ronaldinho's iconic goal on June 21, 2002, sealed Brazil's berth in the World Cup semi-finals and launched the then 22-year-old playmaker from Porto Alegre into stardom. He went to play for Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and AC Milan. He bagged every possible honour in the sport - including the Copa America, Confederations Cup, La Liga (twice), Serie A, Copa Libertadores, Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.

Yet, some England fans continue to argue and question whether Ronaldinho meant to chip Seaman. A few England players still maintain the goal was a fluke. "It's just a shame that a goal like that has sent us out of the tournament," Teddy Sheringham said. Sol Campbell called it "fluky", while England skipper David Beckham told reporters, "It was not his [Seaman's] fault. The goal was a fluke. It was a cross that ended up being a goal."

Ronaldinho states, "When I hit the ball, I wanted to shoot for goal - but maybe not exactly where the ball ended up. If I'm being totally honest, I was aiming for the other side of the net."

"You can't say that [it was a fluke] because I was aware of the 'keeper's position and went for the shot at goal. The fact that it did not go in exactly as I planned is secondary to the fact that I was having a go," the Brazilian added.

"What basically happened is that I hit my shot too hard and, as it travelled through the air, it swerved more and ended up looping over Seaman. There was nothing he could do about it and I suppose there was an element of luck involved... but a goal is a goal!" Ronaldinho concluded.

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Twenty years on, the debate continues, and this time among social media football enthusiasts. Here's a look at some of the reactions on Twitter: