Greatest World Cup Upsets

MrMarcello

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I think what was incredible today was that this wasn’t just a fudge. The Saudi team gave them a proper game.
Good shout. From most accounts the Senegal result was a smash-and-grab fluke result. I don't recall any predictions of France winning by 4-8 goals. Today, lots of predictions of Argentina running riot with massive win margins and Messi getting multiple goals. Saudi gave them a fight not a smash-and-grab. It's right up there with the biggest of upsets at least in the group stage setting.
 

RedDevilRoshi

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We were the better team unlike Senegalese. We deserved the win. They underestimated us before the game but we showed the whole world what football is. Your history dosen't mean anything on the field. It's 11 V 11 after all.

I'm so proud of my Saudi brothers for proven me right.

Lets go

Alhumdlialllah
Yous deserved it. Incredible performance. Biggest upset in World Cup history but fully merited.
 

Abdullah7

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Saudi Arabia (mostly government owned Al-Hilal) and Newcastle overperforming - is anyone going to question if their rulers have discovered some kind of secret sauce for its players?
You'r wrong mate. MBS himself is known to be Al Nassr fan whom are the fierce rivals of Al Hilal. Al Nasser in fact got more endorsement from the government than Al Hillal and still can't match it. Al Hilal is the biggest club in Asia and rightly so and it's not just money that pushed the club to great hights in it. Passion played its part here my friend.
 

LouieVanGallsRedArmeh

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Definitely in the group stages, without a shadow of a doubt. However the Germany trashing the home team Brazil 7-1 is up there in the playoffs of WC

I remember quite vividly how the saudi team with the famous goalkeeper at the time Mohamed Al-Deayea in '98 and '02 were absolutely destroyed in group stages (0-4 by France in 98, 0-8 by Germany in 2002, 0-4 by Ukraine in 2006 and 0-5 by Russia in 2018) How far they have come in recent years, marvelous result against Argentina who were actually unbeaten for so long since 2019.
 
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footballbite

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You'r wrong mate. MBS himself is known to be Al Nassr fan whom are the fierce rivals of Al Hilal. Al Nasser in fact got more endorsement from the government than Al Hillal and still can't match it.
Fair enough, thanks for the information.
 

oneniltothearsenal

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This was the biggest upset for me. As already said, Senegal had players in France and was more of a fluke win. Ireland always had some top players. The only thing that compares to this was N. Korea in 66 and I'd still take this as the biggest upset because so many, including myself, thought Messi would really run riot here in his last World Cup. Argentina are just so poor though.
 

RoadTrip

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Good shout. From most accounts the Senegal result was a smash-and-grab fluke result. I don't recall any predictions of France winning by 4-8 goals. Today, lots of predictions of Argentina running riot with massive win margins and Messi getting multiple goals. Saudi gave them a fight not a smash-and-grab. It's right up there with the biggest of upsets at least in the group stage setting.
Yeah. This is a team which many had in the top 3 as favourites. A team unbeaten in 35(?) games. Even though I’m sure many of those games were against inferior teams, it’s still impressive. No one had Saudi in the game, the majority predicting a heavy defeat. Games like this do on occasion go the other way, which for me is why the key thing here isn’t necessarily the result but the nature of it. They fully deserved the win. I think that’s what makes this elevated. I’m not sure how exactly it ranks but I can’t remember many games in any format where such a heavy underdog genuinely competed on merit and play, the result being the icing on the cake. Argentina will be genuinely humbled by this because it’s not just one of those “not our day” situations, but where they were actually outplayed at times.

This is what can be so great about the World Cup. Sometimes, a team unflavoured can put on a passionate, high quality performance out of nothing. Where over confidence combined with playing a team who you know nothing about can leave people gobsmacked.
 

McLovin

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Thanks.

The boys will be remembered for ever in Saudi for this incredible gift that they gifted us.

What a day.
Mabrook! Incredible result.

Arabic commentary for the 2nd Saudi goal is amazing.:D

 

CallyRed

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Found on a BBC article

Biggest World Cup shocks according to analysis by Nielsen Gracenote
(% chance of winning)

Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina 2022 - 8.7%
USA 1-0 England 1950 - 9.5%
Switzerland 1-0 Spain 2010 - 10.3%
Algeria 2-1 West Germany 1982 - 13.2%
Ghana 2-0 Czech Republic 2006 -13.9%
 

KeanoMagicHat

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Germany 3 : 2 Hungary was the biggest upset imo, as they got smashed 8:3 in group phase, it was still struggling post war Germany against the huge favorite Hungary.
Germany 7 : 1 Brazil was a freak result, but it doesn't come across as a true upset in the sense I understand the word, especially if it's used in the current context of Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia.
Wasn’t there syringes found in the dressing room afterwards? And some very dodgy home calls for Germany. And Puskas was injured. There were plenty of external factors.
 

Sandikan

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Huge upset today. Most of us thought this would be a battering. (And if Argentina could hold their runs, when they were cruising through 1 v 1 first half it probably would have been). But first half luck riding aside, that 2nd half was a master class. And has to figure higher than the 1 goal smash and grab upsets also in the conversation.
 

HaliRed

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I think USA 1-0 England 1950 was the biggest upset until this one...

I believe this equals that upset - 1A and 1B - now
 

croadyman

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This was the biggest upset for me. As already said, Senegal had players in France and was more of a fluke win. Ireland always had some top players. The only thing that compares to this was N. Korea in 66 and I'd still take this as the biggest upset because so many, including myself, thought Messi would really run riot here in his last World Cup. Argentina are just so poor though.
Yeah has to be in top 3 upsets of all time along with US in 50 and North Korea in 66
 

Chief123

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This is definitely the biggest upset ever. Considering none of the saudi players play in any top league. Also the fact Argentina are regarded as the favourites by many.

Also it’s the biggest upset because of how comfortable Saudi Arabia looked for large parts. You just couldn’t see Argentina scoring an equaliser.
 

Dave Smith

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Germany 3 : 2 Hungary was the biggest upset imo, as they got smashed 8:3 in group phase, it was still struggling post war Germany against the huge favorite Hungary.
Germany 7 : 1 Brazil was a freak result, but it doesn't come across as a true upset in the sense I understand the word, especially if it's used in the current context of Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia.
Isn't it pretty much accepted that the German's were pepped up that game from the drugs they were administered?
 

Dave Smith

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North Korea beating Italy in 66 is surely up there.
Yeah, I think that and possibly USA over England in 1950 may be better upsets. That said this is the best in this century imo.
 

Mike Smalling

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True... the only match I watched when we all didn't celebrate the goals but were shaking heads instead. Just shouldn't have happened that way.
I thought it was hilarious. It was glorious to watch David Luiz be directly responsible for a handful of goals in a World Cup semi-final at home.
 

Ramos

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This, Cameroon-Argentina and Algeria-West-Germany are the top 3 for me.
 
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antohan

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True... the only match I watched when we all didn't celebrate the goals but were shaking heads instead. Just shouldn't have happened that way.
That was insane. I had been invited to a private viewing at a shopping centre and was running late with the game 1-0.

As I rushed up stairs and down corridors I caught glimpses of Germany scoring and the replays.

"Wait, wasn't it Klose?", "Nah, Kroos", "Wait, is that the same goal?"... by the time I went past the ID check Khedira was making it 5-0 and I was like wtf is going on man?
 

antohan

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Found on a BBC article

Biggest World Cup shocks according to analysis by Nielsen Gracenote
(% chance of winning)

Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina 2022 - 8.7%
USA 1-0 England 1950 - 9.5%
Switzerland 1-0 Spain 2010 - 10.3%
Algeria 2-1 West Germany 1982 - 13.2%
Ghana 2-0 Czech Republic 2006 -13.9%
No way Algeria had a 13.2% chance in 1982. That's nonsense.
 

NoPace

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Found on a BBC article

Biggest World Cup shocks according to analysis by Nielsen Gracenote
(% chance of winning)

Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina 2022 - 8.7%
USA 1-0 England 1950 - 9.5%
Switzerland 1-0 Spain 2010 - 10.3%
Algeria 2-1 West Germany 1982 - 13.2%
Ghana 2-0 Czech Republic 2006 -13.9%
I wasn't alive, but Algeria in their first WC game beating the winner of the last 2 Euros sounds like a bigger upset on paper to me than the Argies losing to the Saudis considering the Saudis, after getting whooped by the hosts Russia 5-0, narrowly lost to Uruguay 1-0 then beat Egypt (though the game was relatively meaningless as both were out) 4 years ago.
 

NoPace

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No way Algeria had a 13.2% chance in 1982. That's nonsense.
Yeah, I can't imagine the betting odds were 6.5 or 7 to 1 as the probability implies (once you add the vig). Feels more like it must have been 12-1 or so, right?
 

antohan

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I wasn't alive, but Algeria in their first WC game beating the winner of the last 2 Euros sounds like a bigger upset on paper to me than the Argies losing to the Saudis considering the Saudis, after getting whooped by the hosts Russia 5-0, narrowly lost to Uruguay 1-0 then beat Egypt (though the game was relatively meaningless as both were out) 4 years ago.
Indeed. I remember playing them in that 1-0 and it was a tough game, probably our toughest game of the group, and most of the players are the same. The keeper, the goalscorer, the guy who got poleaxed at the end, I could recognise most of them from 2018.
 

NoPace

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Indeed. I remember playing them in that 1-0 and it was a tough game, probably our toughest game of the group, and most of the players are the same. The keeper, the goalscorer, the guy who got poleaxed at the end, I could recognise most of them from 2018.
We need an athleticism index of some kind. You can visibly see that Iran (not bad on the ball going forward at times) and Qatarball (we know they're capable on the ball in attack as they're essentially a Segunda or Tercera spanish side) seemed physically overmatched, whereas Tunisia and the Saudis appeared to have the physical qualities to at least compete defensively like say Champo or MLS sides.
 

mu4c_20le

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Just knew it would happen after we brought up the Saudis when talking about the worst WC team ever during the opening match
 

Rektsanwalt

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Wasn’t there syringes found in the dressing room afterwards? And some very dodgy home calls for Germany. And Puskas was injured. There were plenty of external factors.
Isn't it pretty much accepted that the German's were pepped up that game from the drugs they were administered?
To my knowledge there were drugs involved, but does that really change a lot in terms of how to categorize this match?
 

Demyanenko_square_jaw

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I wasn't alive, but Algeria in their first WC game beating the winner of the last 2 Euros sounds like a bigger upset on paper to me than the Argies losing to the Saudis considering the Saudis, after getting whooped by the hosts Russia 5-0, narrowly lost to Uruguay 1-0 then beat Egypt (though the game was relatively meaningless as both were out) 4 years ago.
It's definitely up there, especially as Saudi have been a WC regular for a while, though that Algeria team did have some good international level talents in it that played a big part in being able to surprise West Germany, like Dahleb, Belloumi and Madjer. I don't know if this Saudi Arabia team has that kind of under the radar quality in its lineup.