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Every four years, the FIFA World Cup delivers moments of incredible skill and footballing brilliance; however, the tournament also has a habit of producing jaw-dropping shocks and upsets that echo through the game’s history.
These iconic World Cup biggest upsets remind us why the beautiful game is so unpredictable and why the underdog’s triumph is the heartbeat of football and sport as a whole.
Below, we take a look back at the 10 biggest upsets in World Cup history – games that turned expectation on its axis, leaving players, fans and bookmakers alike bewildered.
10. Bulgaria 2-1 Germany, 1994
The 1994 World Cup quarter-final between Bulgaria and Germany was supposed to be a formality for Die Mannschaft, who were the reigning champions following their triumph four years earlier.
The script initially went to plan when the Germans took a 47th-minute lead through a Lothar Matthäus penalty, however, the talented Bulgarians had other ideas and mounted a spectacular comeback in the final 15 minutes of the contest.
Two goals inside three minutes from the mercurial Hristo Stoichkov and midfield dynamo Yordan Letchkov turned the game on its head and sent the shellshocked Germans crashing out.
Fittingly, the giant killing took place at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey. David came out on top in what was a golden moment for Bulgaria and football in Eastern Europe as a region. Bulgaria were eventually beaten by Italy in the semi-finals.
9. South Korea 2-1 Italy, 2002
Co-hosts of the 2022 edition of the World Cup, South Korea, made full use of home advantage two years after the Millennium to push all the way into the tournament’s semi-finals, in a dream run that is still recalled daily in conversations from Seoul to Busan.
South Korea’s surprise qualification from the group phase set them up for a Round of 16 clash against an Italian side that boasted superstars like Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero, and little was expected of the Taegeuk Warriors in Daejeon.
Italy took an early 18th-minute lead through Christian Vieri, though South Korea never gave up and equalised in the game’s dying embers through Seol Ki-Hyeon.
Some controversial decisions in favour of the hosts followed, however, South Korea eventually found a route to victory, scoring in the 117th minute of extra time via Ahn Jung-hwan to seal a fairy tale result.
8. Cameroon 1-0 Argentina, 1990
The opening fixture of Italia 90 set the tone for what was a tournament littered with shocks and upsets. Defending champions, led by the unparalleled genius of Diego Maradona, had been tipped to ride roughshod over a Cameroonian side with little pedigree, however, fate had other ideas.
Cameroon’s running power and physical prowess unsettled the South Americans and when François Omam-Biyik scored his iconic second-half header, you could feel the first tremors of a seismic shock.
The Indomitable Lions played half an hour with ten men and the final few minutes with a complement of nine following two red cards, but still held on to clinch one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.
7. East Germany 1-0 West Germany, 1974
The 1974 World Cup featured a politically charged group game between neighbours East and West Germany in Hamburg, but on an evening of high emotions in late June, the underdogs from the east showed more bite.
Hosts West Germany, who had Uli Hoeneß, Gerd Müller, Paul Breitner and Franz Beckenbauer among their number, expected to dominate, though their rivals from beyond the Berlin wall dug in and eventually scored the game’s only goal in the 77th minute through Jürgen Sparwasser.
East Germany’s eventual 1-0 win was more than a mere footballing upset, it was a profound moment in history that resonated far beyond the pitch.
6. Algeria 2-1 West Germany, 1982
Algeria’s World Cup debut in the 1982 iteration of the tournament was supposed to be something of a footnote, however, the African nation became a headline act when they toppled West Germany in the opening game of Group 2 in Gijon.
Lakhdar Belloumi, who scored and assisted in Algeria’s 2-1 win, was the star of the show, though the attacking midfielder had a dedicated supporting cast who raised their game in dramatic style to beat the favourites.
The West Germans, who were full of pre-match bravado, were left embarrassed by their motivated opponents, though they did recover to top the group, with Algeria eventually eliminated on goal difference. Still, the Algerians left Spain having produced a win for the ages.
5. Senegal 1-0 France, 2002
Senegal marked their World Cup debut in mesmerising style when they delivered an early blow to France’s title defence in 2002. Les Blues, who lifted the World Cup in 1998 and the Euro 2000 trophy two years later, were favourites to win the tournament again in 2002.
France, who boasted all-timers like Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane, looked lethargic from the outset of their Group A opener against Senegal however, with the hard-running Africans motivated by dark echoes of French colonial history.
A 30th-minute effort from Papa Bouba Diop was enough to win the day for Senegal, triggering a World Cup collapse from France that would see the champions eliminated after the group stage.
4. Uruguay 2-1 Brazil, 1950
Known as the “Maracanazo”, meaning “The Maracanã Smash”, Uruguay’s against-the-odds win over hosts Brazilin the final of the 1950 World Cup remains one of the tournament’s monumental upsets.
An attendance of around 175,000 bore witness to the event and celebrations in the stands started early when Brazil established a 47th-minute lead through Friaca.
Brazilians everywhere anticipated a coronation, but goals from Juan Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia in the 66th and 79th minutes flipped the script, allowing Uruguay to win the Jules Rimet Trophy instead.
3. North Korea 1-0 Italy, 1966
Unfancied North Korea were one of the lowest ranked teams at the 1965 World Cup in England, however, despite being tipped to make up the numbers, the Asians made history.
In the final round of group fixtures in Group 4, North Korea faced two-time world champions Italy and with qualification on the line, the Azzurri were installed as overwhelming favourites to cruise to victory.
However, Pak Doo-Ik’s 42-minute goal lit the spark, inspiring a showcase of incredible, dogged defending from the North Koreans and backed by an enthusiastic crowd in Middlesbrough, the Asians got over the line, booking passage to the quarter-finals at the Italians’ expense.
2. United States 1-0 England, 1950
It was the summer of 1950 and England, the inventors and self-proclaimed kings of football, were lining up a routine win over part-time “soccer” newbies United States in Group 2 of World Cup ’50.
The Americans, who were a hastily-assembled rabble, were given no chance and were dismissed as a force pre-match, however, Joe Gaetjens’ first-half header was enough to separate the sides in Belo Horizonte in a result that made headlines around the world.
Dubbed the “Miracle on Grass”, this upset is a cornerstone of World Cup history and is still considered one of the greatest underdog stories in sport.
1. Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina, 2022
Topping the list is Saudi Arabia’s stunning 2-1 victory over Argentina in Qatar 2022, a result that shook the footballing world to its foundations.
Argentina, who were in the midst of a 36-game streak, were tipped to dominate, especially with Lionel Messi pulling the strings and the South Americans were odds-on favourites on World Cup betting sites to ease past the Saudi Arabians.
Messi’s early penalty goal was supposed to set the tone, however, Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari’s quick-fire second-half goals turned the game upside down, handing Saudi Arabia their historic win.
Argentina recovered and went on to win the World Cup, making Saudi’s group stage triumph all the more remarkable.
