Greatest FIFA World Cup Upsets: From Dream Runs to Titanic Blowouts

1. Uruguay 2–1 Brazil (1950): “El Maracanazo”

This trophy-deciding clash has gone down as one of the most shocking upsets in World Cup history. In the 1950 edition the winners of the four first-round groups advanced to a final round-robin group stage. Brazil was the home favorite and the tournament’s dominant attacking team, with 7–1 and 6–1 wins against Sweden and Spain, respectively, in its earlier final round-robin matches. The match against Uruguay was played in front of a record 173,850 fans at the Maracanã Stadium, which remains the tournament’s highest single-match attendance to this day.

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Brazil’s Friaça scored the opening goal early in the second half, but Uruguay responded with goals from Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia to stun the hosts 2–1 and lift the World Cup. The match earned the sobriquet “El Maracanazo” (“the smash at the Maracanã”), with the deafening silence of the Maracanã crowd and the defeat’s lasting impact on Brazilian football culture becoming part of World Cup lore.

2. West Germany 3–2 Hungary (1954): The “Miracle of Bern”

The “Magical Magyars” of Hungary were considered the best team in world football at the time, with talismanic players such as Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, and Nándor Hidegkuti in the squad. It was the runaway favorite to win the 1954 World Cup and scored a tournament-record 27 goals, including an 8–3 group-stage victory over eventual finalist West Germany.

During the final, which was played in pouring rain, Hungary took a 2–0 lead within the first 10 minutes, but West Germany recovered and soon equalized with goals from Max Morlock and Helmut Rahn before the 20-minute mark. The rest of the match saw the West German team fend off relentless Hungarian attacks before Rahn scored his second goal in a shocking German counterattack with only six minutes left on the clock, pulling off a miracle comeback victory.

3. West Germany 2–1 Netherlands (1974): “Der Bomber” spoiled the Dutch party

The Netherlands was the team to beat at the 1974 World Cup thanks to its adoption of total football, a fluid style of play in which team members constantly switched positions and roles. Led by the phenomenal Johan Cruyff, who was awarded the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player, the Dutch team was heavily expected to win its first World Cup. On the other hand, West Germany had scraped through to the final with some unconvincing performances, including a loss to East Germany earlier in the competition.

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The final was memorable for many reasons, including referee Jack Taylor’s decision to award the first two penalty kicks ever given in a World Cup final, one to each team. Dutch player Johan Neeskens and West Germany’s Paul Breitner converted from the spot to leave the scores level before forward Gerd Müller, nicknamed “Der Bomber,” pounced on a rare attacking chance to score a clinical match winner and break Dutch hearts.

4. France 3–0 Brazil, 1998: Zidane steals the show

France had been considered also-rans in the tournament, always falling short despite spectacular individual performances from players such as Just Fontaine and Michel Platini in previous editions. Even the fact that it was hosting the tournament was not enough to quell the pessimism. In contrast, defending champion Brazil had both the weight of history and the competition results in its favor, with ace forward Ronaldo Nazário in red-hot form.

However, it all fell apart hours before the final, when Ronaldo was rushed to the hospital with a mystery ailment. The uncertainty and indecision over whether he would play undoubtedly affected team morale, and though Ronaldo did eventually start the match, the Brazilian striker was a shadow of the player who had taken his team to the final. In contrast to Ronaldo and Brazil’s struggles, France rode the wave of home support, with its linchpin Zinedine Zidane scoring twice from headers in the first half and Emmanuel Petit adding a third goal in stoppage time.

5. Cameroon 1–0 Argentina (1990): San Siro stunner

Cameroon, making only its second appearance in the tournament, had yet to win a World Cup match. In its opener of the 1990 edition, the Cameroonian team faced reigning champion Argentina, which featured the likes of the legendary Diego Maradona, Sergio Batista, and Jorge Burruchaga. Audiences and analysts had almost certainly written off Cameroon before the game. However, after absorbing Argentina’s initial attacks, the African team began to pile on the pressure and create some decent chances. The match was scoreless until the hour mark, when Cameroon was reduced to 10 men after André Kana-Biyik was shown a red card. Despite the setback, Cameroon took the lead thanks to a header from François Omam-Biyik, which proved to be the only goal of the game. Even the later dismissal of defender Benjamin Massing, who was shown two yellow cards, could not put a damper on Cameroon’s spirits.

Cameroon became the first African team to reach the quarterfinals of a World Cup. Although Argentina recovered from the defeat and reached the final, the Cameroon team’s courageous performance has become the stuff of World Cup legend.

6. Norway 2–1 Brazil (1998): Flonaldo’s triumph

In an intense back-and-forth group-stage clash, reigning champion Brazil finally scored in the 78th minute through Bebeto, seemingly sealing the win and knocking Norway out of the tournament. However, the Norwegian players refused to give up, with Tore André Flo (nicknamed “Flonaldo”) finding the back of the net in the 83rd minute to equalize and Kjetil Rekdal converting a penalty in the dying minutes of the match to seal the reversal and Norway’s advancement into the knockout round.

Norway lost to Italy in the subsequent round-of-16 clash, while Brazil advanced to the final, in which it lost to France. The result was a rare aberration in the South American team’s otherwise excellent tournament run.

7. Senegal 1–0 France (2002): Opening day upset

Senegal, a former French colony making its tournament debut, got the better of reigning champion France in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup. A goal from Senegal’s Papa Bouba Diop, thanks to his compatriot El Hadji Diouf creating the chance on the left side, was enough to secure victory.

Senegal advanced to the knockout stage before losing in the quarterfinals to Turkey (Türkiye). France, on the other hand, had a miserable tournament and was eliminated in the group stage without scoring a goal.

8. Slovakia 3–2 Italy (2010): Italy’s painful exit

The final group-stage match between the two teams was a pseudo-knockout clash, with both Slovakia and reigning champion Italy needing a win to advance to the next stage. Lackluster performances from the Italian players and a superlative showing from the Balkan team, who seemed to thrive under pressure, led to Slovakia securing a two-goal lead courtesy of a double from Róbert Vittek. With just under 10 minutes left in the match, Italy finally found the back of the net through Antonio Di Natale before Slovakia’s Kamil Kopúnek restored the two-goal cushion by scoring in the 89th minute. In stoppage time Fabio Quagliarella scored again for Italy, but the defending champion ultimately fell short and finished last in the group.

Slovakia, appearing in its first World Cup as an independent country, lost to the Netherlands in the first knockout round.

9. Netherlands 5–1 Spain (2014): The “Flying Dutchman”

Defending champion Spain faced fellow European giants the Netherlands in the opening group-stage match of the 2014 World Cup, a rematch of the 2010 final. Spain initially took the lead in the 27th minute through a Xabi Alonso penalty, but the Dutch team responded with a clinical display of attacking football. Dutch forward Robin van Persie leveled the score just before halftime with a spectacular flying header that immortalized his nickname as the “Flying Dutchman.” In the second half the Netherlands dismantled the Spanish defense, with Arjen Robben scoring twice and Stefan de Vrij and van Persie adding to the tally to seal a resounding blowout victory.

Spain’s performance remained underwhelming for the rest of the tournament, and the reigning world and European champion was eliminated in the group stage. The Netherlands went from strength to strength, eventually finishing third in the tournament.

10. South Korea 2–0 Germany (2018): Double knockout in Kazan

South Korea played defending champion Germany during the group stage in Kazan, Russia, at the 2018 World Cup and pulled off a historic upset. The match remained a tense goalless stalemate for 90 minutes as the Germans desperately pressed to win to secure qualification to the knockout stage. Deep in stoppage time, South Korea’s Kim Young-Gwon scored from a corner; after a consultation with the video assistant referee (VAR), the goal was confirmed. As Germany pushed forward for an equalizer, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was caught out of position, allowing South Korean forward Son Heung-Min to slot a second goal into the unguarded net.

Both countries were eliminated in the group stage of the 2018 tournament, marking a disastrous end for the German team, which suffered its first opening-round exit since 1938.

11. Tunisia 1–0 France (2022): Exit on a high note

Defending champion France was matched against Tunisia, a former French protectorate, in the final group-stage match at the 2022 World Cup. Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri scored the game’s only goal in the 58th minute after a determined run through the French defense. France, which had already advanced to the knockout stage and was resting its main players, pushed for an equalizer in stoppage time and appeared to level the score through Antoine Griezmann, but the goal was controversially ruled out by VAR.

Despite the historic win, Tunisia was eliminated from the tournament in the first stage. France continued its campaign all the way to the final, which it lost to Argentina on penalties. Tunisia’s upset victory over the star-studded French team marked a significant aberration in the tournament.

12. Wales (1958): Delightful debut for the Dragons

The Welsh team, nicknamed the Dragons, thrived in its World Cup debut at the 1958 tournament. Its qualification for the competition could be seen as a fairy tale in itself. After narrowly missing out on advancing to the main tournament, Wales was chosen in a draw for a qualifier playoff against Israel, which had faced forfeits from multiple teams, including Turkey, Indonesia, and Egypt, because of geopolitical tensions at the time amid Arab-Israeli conflicts.

Following victory in the playoff, Wales earned a spot in the main tournament and was placed in the same group as hosts Sweden, 1954 World Cup finalists Hungary, and Mexico. The Welsh team tied all three group-stage matches and finished in joint second place with Hungary. Under tournament rules, teams that tied for second would face off in a group playoff match, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. Ivor Allchurch and Terry Medwin scored for Wales to turn the tables after Hungary had taken the lead, with the Welsh team ultimately securing a 2–1 upset.

The Welsh team’s dream run was halted with a narrow 1–0 loss against Brazil in the quarterfinals, in which a 17-year-old Pelé scored his first World Cup goal, becoming the youngest scorer in World Cup history.

Following its dream debut, Wales failed to qualify for the main tournament again until 2022, setting an unwanted record for the longest gap between World Cup appearances (64 years).

13. North Korea (1966): The Chollima joins the big leagues

The North Korean team, nicknamed the Chollima (a winged horse of Korean legend), made its World Cup debut in 1966 in England as virtual unknowns. Few expected the team to survive a group featuring the Soviet Union, Chile, and two-time world champion Italy. However, against all odds, the North Koreans became the first team from outside the Americas or Europe to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

In its final group-stage match against Italy, North Korea delivered a disciplined performance, with Pak Doo-ik scoring the only goal of the game to secure a 1–0 victory that advanced the Asian team to the knockout stage at the Italians’ expense. North Korea looked set to pull off another upset in the quarterfinal against fellow World Cup debutants Portugal, racing to a 3–0 lead within 25 minutes. However, Portugal was rescued by the heroics of its star striker and eventual winner of the Golden Boot for the tournament’s top scorer, Eusébio, who scored four goals in an explosive performance that saw Portugal effect a dramatic turnaround, winning 5–3.

14. Algeria (1982): All roads lead to Gijón

Algeria made its tournament debut at the 1982 World Cup as an emerging force in African football, but only the most courageous gambler would have backed the team to win against West Germany, the reigning European champion, in the curtain-raiser for both teams. Algeria defied all predictions and beat West Germany 2–1, thanks to goals from Rabah Madjer and Lakhdar Belloumi, and ended its group-stage schedule with a thrilling 3–2 win over Chile, putting the African team in an excellent position to advance to the second group round despite a 2–0 loss against Austria.

Algeria’s journey in the 1982 tournament was unceremoniously halted because of one of the most infamous incidents in the sport’s history. Ahead of their final group-stage match, both West Germany and Austria were aware of the group’s dynamics following Algeria’s victory a day earlier. Since the 1970 World Cup, goal difference (the difference between goals scored and conceded by a team) had been used as a group-stage tiebreaker, meaning that all three teams had a chance of advancing to the next stage, depending on the number of goals scored in the final group-stage match.

An Austrian victory or a draw would have dumped West Germany out of the tournament, and a West German victory with a margin of three or more goals would have eliminated Austria. The Austria vs. West Germany match proceeded as usual until German striker Horst Hrubesch scored in the 10th minute. Following the goal, the match’s intensity and pace dropped precipitously, with neither team seemingly interested in attacking or scoring more goals. For the remainder of the match, which came to be known as the “disgrace of Gijón,” players from both teams jogged aimlessly around the pitch and were apparently reluctant to advance the ball into the opposition’s penalty area. According to the match records, there were only two attempts to score in the second half, and none in the last 40 minutes. The tame 1–0 score sent both teams through at Algeria’s expense.

The demonstrated collusion and lack of competitive spirit led FIFA to change the rules, ensuring that the final round of group-stage matches were played simultaneously in future tournaments.

15. Bulgaria (1994): Breaking the long jinx

Since its tournament debut in 1962, Bulgaria had never won a World Cup match. The team arrived in the United States for the 1994 World Cup with a 16-match winless streak (10 losses and 6 ties) and was placed in a difficult group that included the powerhouse Argentine team, led by Claudio Caniggia and Gabriel Batistuta, Nigeria, and Greece.

A 3–0 loss to Nigeria in its first match extended Bulgaria’s unfortunate streak to 17 matches, but, as it turned out, the team had nowhere to go but up. Led by ace center forward Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgaria smashed Greece 4–0 to secure its first World Cup victory and then beat a diminished Argentina, reeling from Maradona’s ban for doping, 2–0 to advance to the knockout stage. In the round of 16, the Bulgarian team scraped past Mexico on penalties to book a quarterfinal clash against reigning champion Germany. Despite conceding first, Bulgaria mounted a second-half comeback, with Stoichkov scoring the equalizer and Yordan Letchkov netting from a diving header to secure a 2–1 victory.

The fairy-tale run was finally halted with a 2–1 semifinal loss to an Italian team led by Roberto Baggio.

16. Croatia (1998): The Vatreni’s blazing debut

The 1998 World Cup marked Croatia’s first tournament as an independent country. The new team, nicknamed the Vatreni (the blazers or the fiery ones), was considered a rank outsider, and few expected the masterful giant-slaying campaign that Croatia delivered.

Drawn in the same group as Argentina, Japan, and Jamaica, Croatia finished in second place and advanced to the knockout stage with 3–1 and 1–0 victories against Jamaica and Japan, respectively, and a narrow 1–0 loss to Argentina. The Croatian team defeated Romania 1–0 in the round of 16 and faced three-time champions Germany in the quarterfinal. Contrary to all expectations, Croatia dismantled the Germans 3–0, with goals from Robert Jarni, Goran Vlaović, and Davor Šuker, and reached the semifinals.

The Cinderella run was halted in the semifinals against hosts France. Despite taking the lead through Šuker, a rare brace from French defender Lilian Thuram ended the Croatian dream with a 2–1 loss. Croatia won the third-place match against the Netherlands, and Šuker was awarded the Golden Boot.

17. South Korea (2002): The ultimate hometown heroes

South Korea, cohosts of the 2002 World Cup, had failed to win a single match in 14 fixtures since its first World Cup appearance in 1954. It took full advantage of familiarity with the climate and playing conditions, employing a stamina-driven, high-pressing tactical approach. During the group stage, South Korea beat Poland 2–0 and drew 1–1 with the United States before going on to reenact the David vs. Goliath story three times in a row.

The host country narrowly defeated Portugal 1–0 to top its group, and South Korea’s Ahn Jung-Hwan scored a golden goal (an extra-time goal that ends a match, with the scoring team declared the winner) to beat Italy 2–1 in a controversial round-of-16 encounter. The Asian team then eliminated Spain in the quarterfinals on penalties, completing a remarkable series of upsets against traditional powerhouse teams.

South Korea became the first Asian country to reach the World Cup semifinals, in which it lost 1–0 to Germany. It also lost the third-place match against Turkey, 3–2.

18. Costa Rica (2014): A Cinderella story

At the 2014 World Cup, Costa Rica was placed in a “group of death” alongside three former world champions—Uruguay, Italy, and England—with the Central American team viewed as the weakest link. Costa Rica defied all logic, beating Uruguay 3–1 and shocking Italy 1–0. Its 0–0 draw with England ensured the minnow team remained unbeaten and topped the group.

In the round of 16, the Costa Rican team edged Greece in a penalty shoot-out and advanced to the quarterfinals, where it faced the Netherlands in a match that ended in a scoreless draw after extra time. The Dutch team prevailed in the ensuing penalty shoot-out to bring the curtain down on Costa Rica’s Cinderella tale, with the team technically undefeated in open play through the tournament.

19. Japan (2022): David vs. a group of Goliaths

Japan was pitted against former World Cup champions Germany and Spain in the 2022 World Cup group stage. The Japanese team rallied to achieve a comeback win and stun Germany 2–1. After a surprising 1–0 loss to Costa Rica, Japan faced Spain in its final group match. Conceding a goal before halftime, Japan scored two quick goals in the second half to win 2–1 and finish top of the group. In the round of 16, Japan lost to Croatia on penalties following a 1–1 score after extra time.

20. Morocco (2022): An African record

Morocco arrived at the 2022 World Cup as the underdog in a group that featured 2018 finalists Croatia, Canada, and the heavily favored Belgium. Morocco took the tournament by storm, drawing 0–0 with Croatia, dismantling Belgium 2–0, and overcoming Canada 2–1 to top the group. In the knockout stage the African team eliminated Spain on penalties in the round of 16 and followed with a monumental 1–0 quarterfinal victory over Portugal.

Morocco became the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal, where the dream run ended with a 2–0 loss to defending champion France. Morocco later lost the third-place match to Croatia.

21. United States 1–0 England (1950): The “Miracle on Grass”

The 1950 group-stage clash in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, nicknamed the “Miracle on Grass,” is considered one of the greatest World Cup upsets of all time. England, an established footballing superpower, was making its tournament debut, whereas the United States squad was composed largely of semi-professional players, including a postman and a dishwasher. Few expected the Americans to pose a realistic challenge.

American player Joe Gaetjens scored the match’s only goal in the 38th minute. England’s fierce attacks in the second half were thwarted by a resolute American defense and a series of saves by goalkeeper Frank Borghi. Both teams were eventually eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.

22. East Germany 1–0 West Germany (1974): Hosts shocked in Hamburg

The only World Cup meeting between the two German countries took place in Hamburg during the group stage of the 1974 tournament. West Germany, the host, expected a comfortable victory against its neighbor. However, World Cup debutants East Germany played with tactical discipline and a committed defense. In the 78th minute East Germany’s Jürgen Sparwasser famously controlled a long ball and scored to secure the victory.

East Germany advanced to the second group stage before being eliminated, while West Germany recovered from the unexpected loss and won every subsequent match, ultimately lifting the World Cup trophy.

23. Northern Ireland 1–0 Spain (1982): The “Miracle in Valencia”

During the 1982 group stage, Northern Ireland faced a daunting task against host country Spain in Valencia. With Spain expected to cruise through to the next round, Northern Ireland was viewed as a minor obstacle. However, it shattered the dreams of Spanish fans worldwide.

Northern Ireland’s Gerry Armstrong scored the only goal in the 47th minute to win the match, despite defender Mal Donaghy being sent off about the 60th-minute mark. Both teams ended up advancing to the second group stage because of a favorable goal difference, where they were eventually eliminated.

24. Nigeria 3–2 Spain (1998): Sunday’s Saturday surprise

The 1998 group-stage match saw one of the pretournament favorites, Spain, pitted against Nigeria. The Spanish team dominated for the majority of the game, with Fernando Hierro and Raúl scoring to take the lead twice, but Nigeria leveled both times thanks to a goal from Mutiu Adepoju and a shot from Garba Lawal that Spanish goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta turned into his own net. In the 78th minute Nigeria’s Sunday Oliseh scored through a thunderous, long-range strike, and his team took the lead for the first time and ultimately kept it to win the match.

Nigeria topped the group and advanced to the knockout stage, in which it was eliminated by Denmark in the round of 16. Spain was eliminated in the group stage, becoming the only seeded team in the tournament not to advance.

25. Switzerland 1–0 Spain (2010): Pinball in Durban

The two teams met in their first group-stage match at the 2010 World Cup in Durban, South Africa. The fixture was expected to be a comfortable win for Spain, the exponents of the revolutionary tiki-taka style of play that had helped it become the reigning European champions. Although the Spanish team dominated possession and played some attractive football, it struggled to break down the compact Swiss defense.

In the 52nd minute, a chaotic goalmouth scramble saw the ball ricocheting around like a pinball in the Spanish penalty area, ultimately dropping in front of Switzerland’s Gelson Fernandes, who bundled it into the net from 2 yards (1.8 meters) out. Despite Spain’s frantic attempts to equalize, Switzerland held on for its first victory against this particular opponent.

Spain recovered from the early loss and went on to win the World Cup, while Switzerland failed to advance out of the group stage.

26. Saudi Arabia 2–1 Argentina (2022): The “Lusailazo”

Heading into the first group-stage match between the two teams at the 2022 World Cup, Argentina was on a 36-match unbeaten streak as it faced minnow Saudi Arabia. Legendary footballer Lionel Messi, playing in his fifth World Cup, gave Argentina the lead with a 10th-minute penalty, and it appeared that the favorites would secure a routine win.

However, in the second half, Saudi Arabia scored twice in quick succession through Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari in the 48th and 53rd minutes, respectively. The Saudis then focused on preserving the fragile lead for the rest of the match, including a lengthy period of stoppage time. The match was later dubbed the “Lusailazo” (smash at the Lusail), in keeping with World Cup tradition.

Saudi Arabia was eventually eliminated in the group stage, while the shock of the defeat seemed to have galvanized Argentina, which embarked on a winning run and won its third World Cup.

27. Chile 2–0 Spain (2014): The death of tiki-taka

In the 2014 World Cup group stage, following the devastating 5–1 loss to Netherlands, reigning champion Spain faced a must-win match against Chile. Though the earlier loss had raised questions about the continued effectiveness of Spain’s much-vaunted tiki-taka style, Chile drove the final nail into the coffin by flawlessly executing a high-intensity pressing strategy that stifled any Spanish creativity and possession play. Chile’s Eduardo Vargas scored the first goal in the 20th minute, and his teammate Charles Aránguiz doubled the lead just before halftime. Spain struggled to regain momentum throughout the second half, with Sergio Busquets and Diego Costa both missing chances to score.

Chile’s victory eliminated Spain from the tournament after only two matches, signaling the collapse of its decade-long dominance in international football. Chile lost to Brazil on penalties in the round of 16.

28. Germany 7–1 Brazil (2014): The “Mineirazo”

The 2014 semifinal at the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte was expected to be a crowning moment for Brazil, the host country. Instead, the match, later dubbed the “Mineirazo” after its venue, joined the “Maracanazo” as one of the team’s most humiliating defeats. Without talisman Neymar and captain Thiago Silva, Brazil suffered a defensive collapse, conceding five goals in just 29 minutes in the first half as Thomas Müller, Miroslav Klose, Toni Kroos (twice), and Sami Khedira all found the back of the net for Germany. André Schürrle added two more in the second half before Oscar scored a late consolation goal for the South American team.

Germany beat Argentina in the final to win the World Cup, while Brazil lost the third-place match to the Netherlands.

29. Russia 1–1 (4–3) Spain (2018): Akinfeev’s shoot-out heroics

In a round-of-16 clash at the 2018 World Cup, host country Russia refused to give up despite conceding an early own goal. The Russian team equalized through an Artem Dzyuba penalty before halftime. Spain controlled possession for most of the game, but it was unable to break down Russia’s defense in depth and the match proceeded to penalties. Russia’s goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev became a national hero, making a decisive save with his trailing leg to deny Spain and secure a 4–3 victory in the penalty shoot-out.

Unfortunately, Russia and Akinfeev couldn’t replicate their heroics against Croatia in the quarterfinals and were eliminated in another penalty shoot-out.