The FIFA World Cup has been a place of upsets since its inception in 1930. Many World Cup games are filled with surprises and thrills for fans and players. Here we have a list of some of the most significant game surprises in the history of the World Cup.
Spain 1-5 Netherlands (2014)
Spain was the reigning champions, having won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This game was played in Brazil, where they had also won their first two games. They were also expected to win this game, but instead, they lost 5-1 to the Netherlands.
The Dutch scored four goals in the first half and one more in the second, while Spain failed to score. This result sent shockwaves around the world of football and made many people question whether Spain could defend their title when they next competed at a World Cup.
South Korea 2-1 Italy (2002)
South Korea’s victory over Italy in the 2002 World Cup is one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament. The team was a surprise qualifier for the tournament, and though they had played well in qualifying games, they were not expected to do well in the tournament itself.
They beat Italy with two goals in stoppage time, winning by 2-1. This was also one of only two games Italy has lost by such a narrow margin.
Senegal 1-0 France (2002)
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was a tournament that saw many surprises and upsets, but none more surprising than when Senegal beat France in the opening match of Group A.
The African side, who had only qualified for the World Cup after beating Tunisia in a penalty shootout in the final qualifying match, stunned France by taking an early lead through Papa Bouba Diop before holding on for a famous victory.
Cameroon 1-0 Argentina (1990)
The 1990 World Cup was a huge upset for Argentina, who had been considered a favorite to win the tournament. Their star player Diego Maradona had just led them to victory in Copa America, and they were expected to handle Cameroon easily.
But on June 29th, 1990, Cameroon stunned the world by beating Argentina 1-0. It was one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, and it sent shockwaves to soccer fans worldwide.
Brazil 1-7 Germany (2014)
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was among the most exciting ever, with upsets and surprises everywhere. But perhaps none were as surprising as Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany in the final. This game is considered by many to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
It has been called a “historical disaster” and “the biggest embarrassment in Brazil’s sporting history.” It was so bad that some believe it contributed to Brazil’s economic decline around 2013.
This game showed how quickly things can change in sports—and how quickly one team can go from top dog to underdog.
