The Biggest World Cup Upsets of All Time: When the Underdogs Won

The World Cup has delivered some of football's greatest shocks, from North Korea's win over Italy in 1966 to Saudi Arabia stunning Argentina in 2022. Here are the biggest upsets in tournament history and why giant killings keep happening on football's biggest stage.

The World Cup has produced more giant killings than any other competition in football. The format, the pressure, the neutral venues, the knockout stakes, all of it creates conditions where the expected order falls apart.

From North Korea eliminating Italy in 1966 to Saudi Arabia defeating Argentina in 2022, the biggest World Cup upsets share a common thread: they were considered impossible until the moment they happened. Here’s the biggest World Cup upsets, giant killings, and shock results across its history. 

What counts as a World Cup upset?

An upset at the World Cup is typically defined by a large gap in expectation between the two teams, not purely by ranking. Something like a shock result where a nation makes its World Cup debut and beats the defending champions, or a defending champion being eliminated in the group stage qualifiers.

The ranking difference, the stage of the tournament, and the context around the game all shape how an upset is remembered, and they’re not as rare as you’d think. 

North Korea vs. Italy: football's original giant killing

Italy arrived at the 1966 World Cup in England as one of the tournament favourites. North Korea, making their World Cup debut, had qualified largely thanks to boycotts and withdrawals from other nations and were considered entirely without chance.

After losing 3-0 to the USSR and drawing with Chile, North Korea needed to beat Italy to reach the quarter-finals. Pak Doo-Ik scored the only goal in the 42nd minute at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough. Italy were eliminated and North Korea went on to lead Portugal 3-0 in the quarter-finals before Eusébio scored four goals in a 5-3 defeat. The Italian players returned home to a hail of rotten vegetables at the airport.

Senegal beating France in 2002

France arrived at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea as double champions, having won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Zinedine Zidane was injured for the opening group game against Senegal, who were making their World Cup debut, but France still had Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and a squad built around the best players in European football.

Papa Bouba Diop scored in the 30th minute after a goalmouth scramble. France could not find an equaliser. They went on to score zero goals in three group games and crashed out in last place. Senegal, meanwhile, reached the quarter-finals, one of the great underdog runs in the tournament's history.

Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina (2022): the shock of Qatar

Argentina had not lost in 36 consecutive matches heading into their opening group game against Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup. Lionel Messi scored from the penalty spot in the 10th minute. Argentina had three further goals ruled out for offside in the first half. Everything pointed one way.

Then Saleh Al-Shehri equalised in the 48th minute, steering a low finish into the corner. Five minutes later, Salem Al-Dawsari plucked the ball out of the sky and curled a stunning shot into the top corner. Saudi Arabia held on through eight added minutes of pressure to win the match. 

Argentina went on to win the tournament, but the upset remains one of the most shocking single results the World Cup has ever produced.

Which team is most likely to cause an upset in 2026?

The 48-team format creates more opportunities than ever. Japan, Morocco, Senegal and the USA all have the squad quality and tactical discipline to eliminate a major nation. 

Morocco reached the semi-finals in 2022 and showed exactly what an organised, cohesive side can do against better-resourced opponents. Japan beat Germany and Spain at Qatar 2022, the kind of double that was barely conceivable before it happened.

Why do upsets happen more at the World Cup than club level?

At club level, teams play each other dozens of times across a season and results average out. At the World Cup, a single bad afternoon can end a nation's entire campaign. 

Fatigue, travel, heat, pressure and unfamiliar opponents all compress four years of expectation into 90 minutes. The tactical gap between international teams has also narrowed. Nations that might have been outclassed on talent alone in the 1990s now have professional coaching setups, data analysis and players competing in elite club leagues across Europe.  The World Cup's biggest upsets are no longer flukes, they are increasingly the product of preparation and modern technology. 

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