Despite the club football culture in this sport ruling the roost, international football, especially the FIFA World Cup, will always be considered as the pinnacle of this sport. Held every 4 years, the FIFA World Cup is a testament to a country’s footballing depth and culture.
Brazil has won this event on 5 occasions and are the most successful side so far. Media coverage by sports media websites of this quadrennial event has made it an even bigger affair.
Football online betting is quite prominent in India and is gaining quite the foothold in this football-loving nation. Now the most heartwarming part about this football World Cup is the incredible resilience shown by a few teams.
Some of the teams have toppled the big guns and have caused some major upsets in world football.
In this article, we take a look at the top 10 biggest upsets of all time in the history of the FIFA World Cup:
- Argentina vs Saudi Arabia in FIFA World Cup 2022
Considered as one of the biggest upsets of all time, Saudi Arabia had beaten the ultimate champions of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Argentina. Goals from Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari had powered the Asian side to a 2-1 victory over Argentina.
Lionel Messi had scored the lone goal for the champions via a penalty in the 10th minute of this match.
- Spain vs Nigeria in FIFA World Cup 1998
Playing in only their 2nd FIFA World Cup, Nigeria had pulled off a big heist against heavyweights, Spain. The scoreline read 3-2 in favour of the African side and they also progressed to the Round of 16 in this edition.
Mutiu Adepoju and Sunday Oliseh had scored the goals for Nigeria and the other goal came via an own goal from Spain’s Andoni Zubizarreta.
- Japan vs Germany in FIFA World Cup 2022
Another recent one, Japan had outclassed the 2014 winners, Germany. The 4-time champions had a great start to this campaign after Ilkay Gundogan had opened the scoring for the Germans.
In the world of football, upsets and surprises are what make the sport so exhilarating. The FIFA World Cup, with its history of shocking results, is a perfect example of this unpredictability. As fans, we not only relish these moments but also look for ways to engage more deeply with the sport. This is where platforms like Mostbet come into play. Mostbet, a comprehensive online betting platform, offers football enthusiasts a chance to participate in the excitement of the game in a more involved manner. Whether you’re in India or elsewhere, Mostbet provides a user-friendly interface for football online betting, making it easier for fans to place bets on their favorite teams and matches, including those in the FIFA World Cup.
The second half of this game witnessed a different brand of football from Japan as goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano had powered the Japanese to a victory in their opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
- Brazil vs Norway in FIFA World Cup 1998
Another big upset which forms an integral part of footballing folklore was the Norway win over Brazil in FIFA World Cup 1998. The final scoreline of this game read 2-1 and it was an incredible come-from-behind victory for the Norwegians.
Goals from Tore Andre Flo and Kjetil Rekdal had ensured a top-class victory for them. Bebeto had scored the lone goal for Brazil but it went in vain as Norway scripted an upset.
- South Korea vs Germany in FIFA World Cup 2018
Defending champions Germany were stunned by South Korea in this World Cup game on 27th June 2018 at the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia. The score was 2-0 in favour of the Koreans.
The entire game was a neck-to-neck battle and it boiled down to injury time. South Korea held their nerves and goals from Kim Young-gwon and Son Hung-min had made sure that South Korea win this game.
Notably, this was the first time since 1938 that Germany didn’t advance to the next round in a FIFA World Cup.
- Cameroon vs Argentina in FIFA World Cup 1990
Despite reaching the finals in this edition, Argentina would vividly remember their shocking 0-1 defeat at the hands of this Sub-Saharan African country, Cameroon. Francois Omam-Biyik had netted the solitary goal of this match via a free kick and had sent shockwaves down the spines of the opposition team.
A total of 2 red cards were flashed to Cameroon and they had won the game, despite just having 9 players on the field in the latter half of the second half.
- East Germany vs West Germany in FIFA World Cup 1974
The rivalry between East Germany and West Germany was nothing short of periodic drama. The two arch-rivals were always at loggerheads with each other and this provided ultimate footballing experience and entertainment for the fans.
In FIFA World Cup 1974, East Germany had toppled West Germany and it was considered as a big upset. It was their World Cup debut and they punched above their weight in this game.
Jurgen Sparwasser had scored the goal for East Germany in that game, in what was their only FIFA World Cup appearance.
- North Korea vs Italy in FIFA World Cup 1966
Another shocking result that rocked the world was debutants North Korea steamrolling past the then two-time FIFA World Cup champions, Italy. The scoreline of the game was 1-0 and the goal was scored by Pak Doo Ik.
Italy had once again failed to qualify to the next round and this shocking result had grabbed the eyeballs of several football lovers across the globe.
- Switzerland vs Spain in FIFA World Cup 2010
Spain were the eventual champions of this edition but had faltered at the hands of Switzerland. They had lost 0-1 to Switzerland and it was a shambolic defeat for the 1-time FIFA World Cup champions.
Gelson Fernandes had found the back of the net for the Swiss team and it was a historic moment for them.
- Northern Ireland vs Spain in FIFA World Cup 1982
Gerry Armstrong’s goal for Northern Ireland in this FIFA World Cup game versus Spain in 1982 powered the Irish side to a fantastic victory against the hosts.
Mal Donaghy was flashed a red card but Northern Ireland still held their horses and punched above their weight to cause a massive upset in this match.
