With over 100 years in the making, the FIFA World Cup is full of history. More than 1.5 billion people from all over the world tune in to find out who will be crowned world champions. With every soccer World Cup FIFA holds, there is always a chance of an underdog win. We look at 7 of the most notable upsets in the tournament.
1950: United States of America vs. England
This World Cup soccer match saw one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. The United States beat England 1-0 during the group stages. Joe Gaetjens was the only goal scorer of the match, leaving England reeling at full-time. England failed to advance to the knockout stages of the tournament. The United States made it through, only to be eliminated by Uruguay, who would go on and become World Champions.
1966: North Korea vs. Italy
The 1966 World Cup in England saw one of the most shocking results. In the group stages, North Korea defeated Italy 1-0. Pak Doo-Ik was the sole goal scorer of the match, taking North Korea to a historic win.
1982: Algeria vs. West Germany
The Spanish 1982 World Cup saw Algeria defeat West Germany 2-1. There was much controversy surrounding this group due to the format at the time. West Germany and Austria were accused of colluding in their final group stage match as a 1-0 victory to West Germany would mean both teams would advance to the next round, eliminating Chile and Algeria.
1990: Cameroon vs. Argentina
In the opening match of the 1990 Italian World Cup, a huge upset took place. Cameroon defeated the defending World Champions, Argentina, 1-0. Oman-Biyik scored the only and deciding goal in a display of grit and determination from the underdog.
2002: Senegal vs. France
In this opening match, Senegal defeated the reigning champions, France, 1-0. Bouba Diop scored the winning goal in the 30th minute of the match. The Senegal football team made history as this was their debut World Cup and would help them make it to the quarter-finals, only the second African team to do so at that time.
2002: South Korea vs. Italy and Spain
South Korea had a superb run in the 2002 World Cup going through to the semi-finals. In the knockout round, they eliminated strong contenders, Italy. During the quarterfinals, they also knocked out Spain. Both eliminations happened during nail-biting penalty shootouts.
2014: Germany vs. Brazil
The 2014 Soccer World Cup saw Germany defeat Brazil by a dramatic scoreline of 7-1. This is not a typical upset, but a total undoing of a nation with great soccer pedigree, making this match go down in history with fans and those who had enjoyed online betting on the game.
Final Strike
The FIFA World Cup will always be packed full of energetic players giving it their all, entertainment, and drama. With so much at stake, teams put everything on the line to show the world what they are capable of. World Cups are high-pressure environments, and it is evident that things do not always go as planned.