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The FIFA World Cup has always had a strong association with the unexpected, with shock results and coupon-busting outcomes the norm at the tournament. In that latest entry in our retrospective series, we take a look back at some of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Excitement ahead of this year’s expanded edition of the competition is starting to peak, with teams finalising their squads and plans, and bookies sharpening their World Cup 2026 odds ahead of the summer festival of football stateside.
In this article, we examine some of the shocks that should serve as a timely reminder to teams and fans alike that in the World Cup, just about anything can happen.
5. Senegal 1-0 France (2002 World Cup Group Stage)
France travelled to the World Cup in South Korea/Japan in 2002 as reigning champions and favourites to retain their crown.
Les Bleus boasted a squad packed to bursting with star talent and household names including Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Marcel Desailly, Claude Makélélé, Bixente Lizarazu and Lilian Thuram, and they had been tipped to coast through Group A ahead of Senegal, Denmark and Uruguay.
However, with the injured Zidane missing, France looked strangely off colour right from the get-go in their group opener against Senegal in Seoul.
This was, of course, a fixture with special significance given France’s colonial history in Senegal, and that seemed to provide extra motivation for the Lions of Teranga.
Despite being massive underdogs on what was their World Cup debut, Senegal delivered a disciplined performance, with high-energy, aggressive football that unsettled their more illustrious opponents.
Papa Bouba Diop rose to head home a 30th-minute deadlock breaker from a corner, and even at that early juncture, onlookers could tell that something incredible was about to unfold.
France couldn’t drag themselves level and never really recovered in the Far East thereafter. They failed to score completely in their first three games, drawing once and losing twice overall to exit at the group stage in humiliating fashion.
Senegal, meanwhile, advanced to the quarter-finals, where they were eventually ousted by Turkey after extra time (0-1). Their triumph over France set the tone for a tournament full of surprises and it remains one of the most embarrassing results for any defending World Cup champion.
4. North Korea 1-0 Italy (1966 World Cup Group Stage)
In 1966, Italy landed in England as two-time World Cup winners and had a squad laced with serious star quality, including Gianni Rivera, Sandro Mazzola, and Giacinto Facchetti.
In contrast, World Cup debutantes, North Korea, were an unknown quantity and had few, if any, players with half-decent reputations.
Yet, ahead of matchday three in Group 4, the North Koreans still had an open qualification route, though they would need to topple the formidable Italians at Middlesbrough’s Ayresome Park to make the cut.
Few gave the minnows a chance at winning, though, and Italy did dominate the game’s early exchanges. An injury to captain Giacomo Bulgarelli changed everything, however, and with no substitutions allowed back then, North Korea suddenly had a one-man advantage.
Against the run of play, North Korea broke forward and scored through Pak Doo-Ik, who steered a famous strike into the corner in the 42nd minute.
Try as they might, Italy couldn’t restore parity and North Korea held on for a seismic win. The Italian players were pelted with rotten fruit by irate supporters on their return to their homeland, while North Korea’s adventure continued on to the tournament’s last eight, when they were eventually beaten by Portugal (5-3) having thrown away a three-goal lead.
3. Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina (2022 World Cup Group Stage)
In the midst of a 36-game unbeaten streak and with Lionel Messi in their ranks, Argentina were many pundits’ pick to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and though they did eventually deliver on their pre-tournament promise, their journey towards glory started with an almighty bump.
Argentina were paired with Saudi Arabia, who were ranked outside the world’s top 50, for their Group C opener in Lusail, where the South Americans were expected to record a routine win.
Indeed, punters armed with World Cup free bets poured money in Argentina’s direction in the markets, with the Saudi Arabians given little hope of matching Messi and co.
When Messi himself opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 10th minute, the game was going according to script, however, the unthinkable followed.
Just after half-time, Saleh Al-Shehri equalised with a well-taken, clinical finish and just five minutes after that, Salem Al-Dawsari produced a stunning solo goal, cutting inside and curling a beauty into the far corner past Emi Martinez.
From there, it was all about digging in for the underdogs, who showed admirable tactical discipline to keep Argentina at arm’s length. Saudi Arabia would eventually finish bottom of the section, though their heroics in Lusail meant they could travel home with pride.
To their credit, Argentina steadied themselves quickly after that wobble and eventually went on to seal their first World Cup title since 1986.
2. USA 1-0 England (1950 World Cup Group Stage)
In 1950, England travelled to the World Cup in Brazil with one of the tournament’s strongest teams, on paper, at least, with Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews, Stan Mortensen and Billy Wright all in tow.
They showed their class to beat Chile 2-0 in their first outing in Group 2 and the Three Lions looked well-equipped to dominate the section.
A second victory in game two would have sealed the deal and all they needed to do was to best a ramshackle USA side in Belo Horizonte.
This United States squad was a collection of part-timers which included a teacher, a dishwasher and hearse driver among others. Only 10,000 fans turned up to watch what was seen as a non-contest, though those who attended were about to witness something special.
In the 38th minute, Walter Bahr’s cross was met by Joe Gaetjens, whose glancing header looped past England goalkeeper Bert Williams.
That effort would prove decisive and the USA held firm and repelled the waves of English attacks to triumph.
Back home, some English newspapers reportedly printed the score as 10-1 to England, believing the actual scoreline was a misprint. In America, the win was celebrated and is still known today as the “Miracle on Grass”. It remains one of the most embarrassing results in English football history.
1. Uruguay 2-1 Brazil (1950 World Cup Final Match)
No upset in World Cup history can compare to the emotional weight of the “Maracanazo” and the day that Brazilian dreams were crushed.
The 1950 World Cup Final, hosted in Rio de Janeiro, was supposed to be the Seleção’s coronation. Brazil had been ploughing through opponents with ease in the lead-up to the climactic contest.
They had blitzed Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1 in their first two games of the Final Round group phase, setting themselves up for ultimate glory against Uruguay in front of 199,000 fans at the Maracanã Stadium.
Though the Uruguayans had won the World Cup themselves in 1930, they were expected to offer little resistance. Had the best betting sites for the World Cup been around back then, Brazil would have been priced as clear odds-on favourites.
When the Brazilians took the lead early in the second half through Friaça, the celebrations began in earnest, however, Uruguay refused to yield.
Juan Alberto Schiaffino equalised in the 66th minute, and then, with 11 minutes on the clock, Alcides Ghiggia raced down the right and fired a low shot inside the near post.
An eerie silence descended on the Maracanã thereafter and when the final whistle confirmed Uruguay’s victory in what was effectively the final, Brazil plunged into a sort of national mourning.
Some fans never recovered emotionally and the result shaped Brazilian football’s obsession with mental strength. It remains the single most devastating day in the country’s sporting history and perhaps the ultimate example of a World Cup upset.
