FIFA World Cup History’s Biggest Underdog Upsets

Published on: 18 December 2020
FIFA World Cup History’s Biggest Underdog Upsets
World Cup stadium

In sports, there is no such thing as certain; anything can happen on the field. Even if the team won consecutive matches along with the cup, they can’t be sure if they win the next game. We are confident that we have our favorite team to support, but things don’t come easy if they match the most prominent teams around.

The stats don’t lie, but instances occur. It is very devastating to football fans when the football team they root up to will lose to the underdog because they have high hopes their team will win.

But it brings great joy to the fans who rooted for the underdog team and unexpectedly became a dark horse.

Suppose you are betting on the underdog team, and it will win. In that case, your bookmaker, online bookies, or your online casino will go bonkers because the odds ratio is usually bigger on the underdog side.

That is why underdog tales are what makes sport as seat gripping as it is because a team came from nowhere to win an immense rage when no one has given them a chance.

Everyone, in reality, loves the winner. And every once in a while, a gusty underdog defies the odds and bookies to make a deep run or even win a significant title. Here are some of football’s biggest upsets in history.

Senegal Shockingly Defies France At 2002 World Cup Group Stage

In Japan and South Korea, France reached the 2002 World Cup with high expectations. With a 1- 0 defeat to unheralded Senegal in the tournament’s first game, those expectations quickly disappeared.

Senegal was making its first-ever appearance at the world cup. In the 30 mins of the game, Papa Malick Diop scored, and there were no goals ever since until the end of the game.

France hasn't been the same since that day of their loss, and you could say that their 2010 World Cup unnecessary errors were a direct product from that day in May 2002.

Furious Defeat Of Italy From Little Known Before North Korea On 1966

Angry fans hurled rotten tomatoes on Italian Football players as they arrived back from England in 1966 after crashing out of the World Cup at the North Korean team’s hands.

Until this day, Pak Doo Ik’s name is still a painful memory to a generation of Italians for five decades after the winning goal just before halftime.

In its first-ever international competition, the Asian nation was participating. The team had only kept alive their high hopes of advancing beyond the group stage with an unexpected late equalizer in the second game. The game ends at a 1- 0 score.

The Defeat Of Italy But At This Time, It Is South Korea At World Cup 2002

Italy was once again shocked by an underdog at the 2002 World Cup, this time by a team on the other side of the peninsula, as South Korea won at the expense of Azzuri’s home soil. After you have watched this game, you will believe in the home field advantages. The host Koreans also managed to pull off a massive win against the Italian powerhouse in extra time, eliminating them from the World Cup.

The “Miracle On Turf” By USA Versus England on 1950

With an aggregated score of 45 - 2 on this one, the United States had lost seven consecutive international matches, so you can easily see why they may have been considered the underdogs in this match.

England, who previously mocked the World Cup idea and never doubted for a second that it was the greatest football nation in the world, English players were a little too cocky for their good, and fell to the US.

Because of FIFA boycotting, England had never previously played at the World Cup but had a strong run of results leading up to the tournament. The American team, however, was comprised of part-timers, including a teacher and a baseball player.

Takeaway

Upsets, this is one of the many reasons why the FIFA World Cup is the world’s biggest sports event. With the several devastating events in the world, there is a sport that unifies us all.

Football does not favor races, colors, and other forms. The team that will win is the one with a great commitment, focus, and sheer will to defy all the odds and expectations.

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