The biggest World Cup upset ever? Well, Saudi Arabia bettering Argentina 2-1 is definitely the biggest World Cup upset of the 2020s.
Calm down, we know this is the first World Cup since 2018. But Tuesday morning’s shocker definitely deserves a place on the list of soccer royalty expected to contend for the championship getting slapped by countries expected to be three-and-done in group play.
Fans of Argentina can take heart that, in two of these cases, the victimized side came back to make the World Cup Final.
In chronological order...
— United States 1, England 0, 1950 in Brazil. Compared to this, The Miracle on Ice was as predictable as a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Between World War II and this first post-war World Cup, England rolled up a 23-4-3 record. The self-perceived “Kings of Football” featured professional stars from a nation that lived for the game.” The United States featured semi-pro players from a nation that barely knew the game existed, whether you called it “football” or “soccer.” The players were first generation children of immigrants or immigrants themselves.
England won its opener, 2-0 over Chile while the United State lost 3-1 to Spain.
“We still were feeling really good about ourselves because we had scared the hell out of Spain,” U.S. right back Harry Keough told an interviewer for a FIFA video on the game. “And, then we had another two and a half days before we played England. We certainly didn’t entertain any idea we were going to beat them. We figured we could give them a battle.”
Geoffrey Douglas’ book on the game, “The Game of Their Lives,” quotes U.S. coach Bill Jeffrey as telling the media, “We have no chance.”
The Daily Express in England wrote, “It would be fair to give them three goals of a start.”
Or, maybe just one — a 25-foot shot by high school teacher Walter Bahr grazed the diving head Haitian-born Joe Gaetjens, catching stunning England (and the world) in the 38th minute. England had put six shots on goal in the first 12 minutes, all of which U.S. goalkeeper and hearse driver Frank Borghi stopped.
Douglas’ book says the crowd increased as the match continued, shocked Brazilians listening on the radio running to Estádio Independência in Belo Horizonte to cheer on the United States (and cheer against England). Borghi preserved the shutout with a couple of sparkling saves, including on a Jimmy Mullin header in the second half.
The Kings were dead. England left for home after a 1-0 loss to Spain.
As with The Miracle on Ice, the United States still had to win one more game. Alas, the U.S.’s 1950 World Cup story lasted only a day longer than England’s, ended by a 5-2 loss to Chile.
The United States didn’t play another World Cup game for 40 years.
— North Korea 1, Italy 0, 1966 in England. Both North Korea and Italy had lost to the Soviet Union, but Italy had beaten Chile while North Korea had lost to the Chileans. This match would determine who joined the Soviets in the knockout stage.
That would be Italy, right? To expect World Cup rookie North Korea to escape group play, something no Asian or African country had done in previous World Cups, seemed completely unreasonable. Italy dressed Gianni Rivera, who would be a European Player of the Year, and Inter Milan star Giacinto Facchetti.
Also, Italy needed only a tie. Among soccer’s elite nations, usually, none can imprison an opponent for 90 minutes like The Azzurri. Nobody bets the Over when Italy’s survival is at stake.
But, Pak Doo-Ik broke through the Italian defense in the 42nd minute, and his teammates proved as defensively disciplined as their fabled opponents.
North Korea got into the knockout stage. Italy’s transport bus got produce thrown at it when the team returned home.
— Algeria 2, West Germany 1, 1982 in Spain. Perhaps no upset changed the World Cup the way this one did.
Algeria was only the second African nation to make the World Cup. West Germany, on the other hand, celebrated World Cup titles in 1954, 1974, lost the 1966 championship to England and were defending European champions.
“If we don’t beat Algeria, we’ll take the next train home,” West Germany coach Jupp Derwall declared.
West German player Paul Brietner declared, “We will dedicate the seventh goal to our wives and the eighth goal to our dogs.”
There would be only one German goal to dedicate and they probably felt like taking the next train to wherever nobody had heard their fatal arrogance. Wonderful goals by Radbah Madjer and Lakhdar Belloumi — 11 passes preceded the Belloumi goal — put swift Algeria ahead 1-0, then 2-1. And, the Algerians held on to win by playing the same attacking style until the final whistle.
Algeria didn’t make it out of group play, however. A loss to Austria and a 3-2 win against Chile left Algeria vulnerable on goal differential as West Germany and Austria kicked off the group’s final match. A tie or Austria win would put Austria and Algeria through with West Germany done. A West Germany win would send the two German-speaking countries through and send Algeria home.
What followed, on the same field that Algeria upset West Germany: “The Disgrace of Gijón.” West Germany went up 1-0 on Austria in the 11th minute. Then, play slowed. The teams knocked the ball around, challenging few passes and attempting fewer shots. Algeria fans at the game waved money. German and Austrian TV announcers excoriated their countrymen. The teams slumped to a 1-0, West Germany finish.
A FIFA investigation officially turned up nothing. To this day, questions remain whether or not the sides colluded or just collectively downshifted when they realized the situation.
West Germany eventually lost the final to Italy. But, Algeria’s upset fostered a respect for African soccer and remained a self-belief touchstone for future underdog African sides.
And, in World Cups since, each group’s final matches have been played simultaneously, to prevent any shenanigans.
— Cameroon 1, Argentina 0, 1990 in Italy. Argentina should’ve been ready. As defending champions, La Albiceleste lost the 1982 World Cup tournament opener to Belgium.
But, come on, the 1986 World Cup champions, returning with (still) the best player in the world, Diego Maradona, should expect trouble in Italia ‘90’s opening match from Cameroon? Cameroon, which hadn’t qualified in 1986 and scored all of one goal over three defensive ties in 1982, its only previous World Cup appearance?
Yes, Cameroon, which combined size, speed, impressive teamwork and greatly improved technical ability. The oasis in an arid World Cup — so dreadfully dull, FIFA changed rules — played Argentina on equal terms despite two red cards putting them on unequal terms as far as players on the pitch. Minutes after his brother was sent off in the second half, François Omam-Biyik’s header bounced off Argentina goalkeeper Nery Pumpido and into the goal.
That stood as the game-winner. Cameroon’s run to the quarterfinal caused FIFA to give one more spot to Africa for the next World Cup. Argentina scraped out of group play, but upset Brazil, then Italy (on penalty kicks) before losing the final to Germany.
— Senegal 1, France 0, 2002 in South Korea. France’s 1998 World Cup champion opened the 2002 tournament without injured 1998 and 2000 World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane. But, would that even matter against its former colony, a nation in its first ever World Cup after seven failures to qualify?
Didn’t help. Touching off a tournament of unexpected results and stunning moments, Senegal’s Bouba Diop scored in the 30th minute and the African nation made that stand up.
France was one third of the way to the worst performance at a World Cup by a defending champion (two losses, a draw, zero goals scored). Senegal, The Lions of Teranga, was one game into a journey to the quarterfinals.
