Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill was the hero for the South Americans, saving from Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade to give them the advantage (Picture credit: AP)
England arrived at their first FIFA World Cup as favourites, led by stars Alf Ramsey, Tom Finney and Billy Wright. The United States, meanwhile, fielded a team of part-timers, including a dishwasher, a letter carrier and a teacher, who had trained together for just one day before sailing to Brazil. Joe Gaetjens’ 38th-minute header gave the USA the lead, while goalkeeper Frank Borghi’s inspired second-half performance kept England at bay, sealing one of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup history (Picture credit: US Soccer)
North Korea’s very presence at the FIFA World Cup was brilliant, with the English FA having considered denying the team entry amidst Cold War tensions. Italy’s hopes took a major blow when Giacomo Bulgarelli was injured, leaving the two-time champions with 10 men as substitutions weren’t permitted. Seven minutes later, Pak Doo Ik scored the winner to eliminate Italy in one of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup history. An original game ticket is now displayed at the FIFA Museum, while the spot from which Pak scored is marked with iron studs at the redeveloped site of the former stadium (Picture credit: X)
Defending champions Argentina, led by the great Diego Maradona, were overwhelming favourites heading into the opening game of the 1990 FIFA World Cup against debutants Cameroon, the only sub-Saharan African team in the tournament. Played at the iconic San Siro, the game took a dramatic turn after a disciplined Cameroonian display kept Argentina at bay. Midway through the second half, François Omam-Biyik rose to head home from a free kick, sealing a famous 1-0 win against Argentina and one of the biggest shocks in FIFA World Cup history (Picture credit: AFP)
The opening game of Group B at the 2014 FIFA World Cup reunited the previous edition’s finalists. Defending world and European champions Spain took the lead through Xabi Alonso’s penalty, but Robin van Persie’s iconic diving header before half-time sparked a brilliant Dutch comeback. The Netherlands romped to a 5-1 win against Spain, handing Spain their heaviest-ever FIFA World Cup loss. Spain exited in the group stage, while the Dutch went on to finish third (Picture credit: X)
Germany’s shock group-stage exit at the 2018 FIFA World Cup remains one of the tournament’s greatest upsets. Needing a victory against already-eliminated South Korea, the defending champions instead lost 2-0 after stoppage-time goals from Kim Young-gwon and Son Heung-min. It was Germany’s first group-stage exit since 1938 and their first-ever FIFA World Cup loss to an Asian country (Picture credit: AP)
Argentina entered the 2022 FIFA World Cup on a 36-game unbeaten run and looked in complete control after Lionel Messi’s early penalty. But Saudi Arabia produced one of the tournament’s greatest upsets as Saleh Al-Shehri equalised before Salem Al-Dawsari scored a brilliant winner in a famous 2-1 win. Argentina recovered to lift the FIFA World Cup, but Saudi Arabia’s win remains one of the competition’s most memorable shocks (Picture credit: X)
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