😮 Shock Upsets
When the minnows ate the giants. USA over England 1950, North Korea over Italy, Senegal over France, Germany humbled by Korea and then by Mexico, the days the form book burned.
Part of World Cup
17 moments in this segment.
- - Algeria beat West Germany. World Cup debutants Algeria stun mighty West Germany 2–1 in 1982, an upset so embarrassing it led directly to the "Disgrace of Gijón" and a rule change about simultaneous final group games.
- - Cameroon reach the quarter-finals. After beating Argentina, Cameroon went on to become the first African team to reach a World Cup quarter-final in 1990, losing to England only in extra time, the run that changed how the world saw African football.
- - Ireland reach the quarters without winning a game. Jack Charlton's Ireland reached the 1990 quarter-finals having not won a single match in normal time, drawing their way through and beating Romania on penalties, to delirium back home.
- - Bulgaria knock out Germany. Inspired by Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgaria come from behind to beat defending champions Germany 2–1 in the 1994 quarter-final and reach a stunning, unexpected semi-final.
- - Senegal beat champions France. World Cup debutants Senegal beat the defending champions France 1–0 in the 2002 opener through Papa Bouba Diop, the holders crashing out without scoring a single goal.
- - Senegal reach the quarter-finals. Not content with beating France, debutants Senegal beat Sweden in the round of 16 to reach the 2002 quarter-finals, only the second African side ever to do so.
- - South Korea reach the semi-finals. Co-hosts South Korea, roared on by the Red Devils, knock out Italy and then Spain to become the first Asian semi-finalists in World Cup history under Guus Hiddink.
- - Turkey finish third on their return. Back at the World Cup after 48 years, Turkey reached the 2002 semi-finals and finished third, Hakan Şükür scoring the fastest goal in World Cup history (11 seconds) in the third-place match.
- - Switzerland beat eventual champions Spain. In their opening 2010 match, Switzerland beat Spain 1–0, the only game the eventual champions lost all tournament, a reminder that even the best can be ambushed.
- - Costa Rica top the group of death. Costa Rica beat Uruguay and Italy to win a 2014 group containing three former champions, then reached the quarter-finals, one of the great underdog runs of the modern World Cup.
- - Mexico beat holders Germany. Defending champions Germany are beaten 1–0 by Mexico in their 2018 opener through Hirving Lozano, the shock that set up Germany's first-ever group-stage exit.
- - South Korea dump out holders Germany. South Korea score twice in stoppage time to beat defending champions Germany 2–0 in 2018, sending the four-time winners out in the group stage for the first time since 1938.
- - USA 1, England 0 - the miracle of Belo Horizonte. A team of American amateurs beats the mighty England in 1950, so improbable that some British papers assumed the score was a typo and printed England 10, USA 1. Still one of the greatest upsets in sporting history.
- - North Korea knock out Italy. Unknown North Korea beat two-time champions Italy 1–0 at Middlesbrough in 1966, sending the Azzurri home to a barrage of rotten tomatoes and one of the World Cup's most romantic underdog stories.
- - Saudi Arabia shock Argentina. Eventual champions Argentina open the 2022 World Cup by losing 2–1 to Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history, on the way to Messi finally lifting the trophy.
- - Japan come from behind to beat Germany. Four-time champions Germany lead 1–0 before Japan strike twice late to win 2–1 in 2022, part of a wild day of upsets, and a result that ultimately sent Germany out at the group stage again.
- - Morocco become the first African semi-finalists. Morocco beat Belgium, Spain and Portugal to reach the 2022 semi-finals, the first African and first Arab nation ever to go that far, igniting celebrations across the continent and the Arab world.
