Greatest World Cup Upsets of All Time: From Cameroon 1990 to Saudi Arabia 2022

The FIFA World Cup has produced more jaw-dropping upsets than any other sporting competition on earth. From tiny nations toppling football giants to defending champions being sent home in disgrace, the tournament has a unique ability to rewrite the script and remind the world why football is called the beautiful game. Here are the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

1. Saudi Arabia 2–1 Argentina (2022)

The most recent — and arguably the most shocking — upset in World Cup history. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi and unbeaten in 36 matches, were firm favourites to cruise through their group. After Messi's penalty put Argentina ahead, Saudi Arabia produced a stunning second-half comeback — two goals in five minutes while playing an extraordinary high defensive line — to win 2-1. The entire football world stopped. It remains the defining shock of the modern era.

2. West Germany 0–1 Algeria (1982)

Algeria's victory over West Germany at the 1982 World Cup in Spain was the first time an African nation had beaten a European team at the tournament. West Germany — who would go on to reach the final — were beaten by a brilliantly organised Algerian side playing with pace and technical quality that stunned the football world. The result triggered a rethink of global football's power structures and remains one of the landmark moments in African football history.

3. Cameroon 1–0 Argentina (1990)

The 1990 World Cup opened with arguably the biggest shock the tournament had ever seen — Cameroon, inspired by 38-year-old Roger Milla coming off the bench, defeating defending champions Argentina in the opening match. The Indomitable Lions went on to reach the quarter-finals, becoming the first African nation to do so, and changed the way the world viewed African football forever.

4. USA 1–0 England (1950)

In what remains one of the most shocking results in football history, the United States — a team of part-time players and amateurs — defeated England 1-0 at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. England had entered the tournament as heavy favourites; newspapers initially reported the result as a typographical error. The goal was scored by Joe Gaetjens, a Haitian-born dishwasher from New York. It remains the benchmark by which all World Cup upsets are measured.

5. South Korea's 2002 Run: Germany, Spain, Italy & Portugal All Beaten

South Korea's home World Cup in 2002 produced the most sustained series of upsets in tournament history. The co-hosts knocked out Spain, Italy, and Portugal — three European giants — before defeating Germany in the semi-finals. Whether fully deserved or aided by controversial refereeing decisions, South Korea's run to the semi-finals on home soil remains the most dramatic collective upset the World Cup has ever seen. It changed Asian football's self-perception permanently.