German keeper Manuel Neuer couldn't save his team from falling 2-0 to South Korea in the Russia 2018 Group Stage. Where does the loss rank among all-time World Cup upsets? Photo by Steindy (wikimedia commons). The defending champions are going home. Germany needed a win over South Korea in their final game of the Group Stage in order to advance to the Knockout Round of Russia 2018. Instead, they lost 2-0, despite controlling 70% of possession, winning three-times as many corners, and firing 26 shots toward the Korean goal. Does Korea’s massive upset instantly crack the top-five biggest upsets in World Cup history? Let’s count them down. 5. Germany 7-1 Brazil (2014) When and where did it take place? Brazil 2014 Group Stage. What were the consequences? Host nation and tournament favorite Brazil was eliminated (and massively embarrassed) in the semifinals. Why does it make the top-five? Brazil makes its first of two appearances on the list thanks to a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of Germany. While this game wasn’t the massive mismatch that the rest are – Germany (no. 2 in the world) was actually ranked higher than Brazil (no. 3) at the time – the blowout nature and the fact that it came in Rio de Janeiro make it worthy. All set to party through the night, the home crowd had plenty of time to cancel their plans and schedule a post-mortem instead as Thomas Muller scored just 11 minutes into the game and Germany extended the lead to 5-0 before the game was even 30 minutes old. It was 7-0 before a late consolation marker by Oscar, a goal which didn’t live up to its name, offering little solace to the 58,000 fans in attendance. Germany’s four-goal outburst from minute 24-29 left indelible scars on Brazil’s national identity. Germany “pierc[ed] piercing Brazil’s defence with such frequency and brutality and engendering such horror among onlookers that footage really should be viewed through an opaque shower curtain,” wrote The Guardian’s Simon Burnton. So take your computer to the banheiro before watching the clip below … 4. Germany 3-2 Hungary (1954) When and where did it take place? Switzerland 1954 Final. What were the consequences? The unstoppable force that was Hungary was denied its first-ever World Cup. Why does it make the top-five? If you weren’t alive in the 50s, you’re probably surprised to see Germany beating Hungary listed as an upset. But in 1954, Hungary was unquestionably the team to beat. They were pretty much the Steph Curry/Kevin Durant-era Golden State Warriors of soccer. From 1950-56, the “Golden Team” lost just one game, compiling a 42-7-1 record. In the 1954 World Cup, alone, they amassed a tournament-record 27 goals in just five games. [I]n 1954, Hungary was … pretty much the Steph Curry/Kevin Durant-era Golden State Warriors of soccer. From 1950-56, the “Golden Team” lost just one game. Germany, on the other hand, had yet to win any of its four World Cup titles in 1954 and had only recently been reinstated by FIFA post-WWII. The teams actually first met in the Group Stage and Germany, fielding a team of mostly reserves, was obliterated 8-3. A similar result seemed to be a fait accompli in the finals when Hungary took an early 2-0 lead, scoring twice in the first eight minutes. But a crucial answer from Max Morlock in the 10th minute gave Germany hope. Then Helmut Rahn equalised in the 18th minute before scoring the late winner in the 84th. As you can see in the old-timey highlight reel below, the “beautiful game” wasn’t quite as beautiful back then, but that doesn’t make the result any less improbable. 3. Korea 2-0 Germany (2018) When and where did it take place? Russia 2018 Group Stage. What were the consequences? Defending champion Germany was knocked out of World Cup. Why does it make the top-five? Germany, the victors in our first two upsets, become the vanquished in number three. Not only were the Germans the defending champs in 2018, they were also the #1 ranked team in the world at the time. Korea, meanwhile, was a lowly 57th, fourth-lowest in the entire tournament, and were 500/1 longshots to win the World Cup. They were also 0-0-2 entering the game, already falling to Mexico and Sweden. After a win and a loss in the first two Group Stage games, Germany sat tied for second in their quartet (behind Mexico, level with Sweden). They absolutely needed a win to boost their chances of moving on. Indeed, thanks to complicated tie-breaking scenarios, winning didn’t even guarantee they would advance. They needed to pile on and win by multiple goals to truly feel safe. That’s why sportsbooks had the spread at an almost unprecedented Germany -3 heading into the match. Sportsbooks had the spread at an almost unprecedented Germany -3 heading into the match [with South Korea]. But right from the opening kick, the champs looked nervous and out of sorts. While they generated a few good chances over the course of 90 minutes, they were routinely turned back by a previously underwhelming Korean defense. And then, in the third minute of stoppage time, disaster struck (or jubilation, depending on your allegiances). 2. Uruguay 2-1 Brazil (1950) When and where did it take place? Brazil 1950 Final Round. What were the consequences? Uruguay won the World Cup over host Brazil. Why does it make the top-five? Uruguay was a good team, make no mistake. They were ranked 18th in the world entering the 1950 World Cup. But Uruguay was also a nation of roughly 2.5 million people and basically received a free pass to the final round: they were originally placed in just a three-team group, and that was trimmed to just two after France withdrew. All they needed to do to reach the final four was beat Bolivia, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, which they did handily (8-0). An upset of Sweden (3-2) and a draw with Spain (2-2) in the final round robin set-up a match with host Brazil, who had themselves walloped both the Swedes (7-1) and Spaniards (6-1), for the title.<doc-sep>Soccer Football – World Cup – Round of 16 – Spain vs Russia – Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia – July 1, 2018 Russia players celebrate winning the penalty shootout REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Soccer Football – World Cup – Round of 16 – Spain vs Russia – Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia – July 1, 2018 Russia players celebrate winning the penalty shootout REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY With a spirited home crowd cheering on, Russia made a memorable contribution to the World Cup’s history of upsets. The Russians beat Spain on penalty kicks in the round of 16 on Sunday, eliminating the 2010 champions and overcoming seemingly nonstop possession by the Spaniards. Russia is No. 70 in the FIFA ranking and Spain is No. 10, and the Spanish were considered serious contenders to win the tournament. The FIFA ranking may have underrated Russia because as the host country, it didn’t have to play any qualifiers. Still, this upset was a significant one, especially since it occurred in the knockout phase and put the Russians through to the quarterfinals. Here’s a look back through World Cup history at some of the event’s other famous upsets: SENEGAL’S RUN (2002) France was the defending World Cup and European champion when it was eliminated in the group stage in a dismal showing in 2002. The French never recovered from their 1-0 loss to Senegal in the tournament opener in Seoul. This was a wild World Cup in which South Korea and Turkey both reached the semifinals. The United States made it to the quarterfinals _ and Senegal did as well, beating Sweden 2-1 in the round of 16 on a goal by Henri Camara. GERMANY STUMBLES (1994 and 1998) Arguably the most consistent contender in World Cup history, Germany dropped a pair of quarterfinals against unheralded European challengers. Bulgaria knocked the Germans out 2-1 in 1994 in New Jersey. Four years later in France, the Germans lost 3-0 to Croatia . ARGENTINA’S ROLLER COASTER (1990) Defending champion Argentina rarely looked impressive in Italy in 1990, but Diego Maradona’s team managed a runner-up showing anyway. Cameroon shocked Argentina 1-0 in the opener despite two red cards, but from that point on, the Argentinians kept advancing _ barely _ even when up against seemingly superior opponents. They beat Brazil 1-0 in the round of 16 and edged host Italy in the semifinals on penalties. The Italians hadn’t allowed a goal all tournament before Argentina’s Claudio Caniggia scored in the second half of the semifinal. ALL FOR NAUGHT (1982) Algeria shook up the 1982 World Cup in Spain with a 2-1 victory over West Germany at the start of the initial group stage. The Germans advanced anyway under controversial circumstances. Heading into the group’s final match between West Germany and Austria, a 1-0 win by the Germans would allow both those teams to advance at Algeria’s expense. That’s exactly what happened in a timid match that became known as the “Disgrace of Gijon.” OUT OF NOWHERE (1966) For a brief moment in England in 1966, it appeared North Korea _ yes, North Korea _ might reach the semifinals of the World Cup. The North Koreans had already beaten Italy 1-0 in the group stage. Then they raced out to a 3-0 lead over Portugal in the quarterfinals before eventually falling 5-3. TURNING THE TABLES (1954) The biggest upset in a World Cup final may have been West Germany’s “Miracle of Bern” in 1954. Hungary had run roughshod through this tournament in Switzerland, scoring 25 goals in four matches before the final _ including an 8-3 win over the Germans in group play. Ferenc Puskas and the Hungarians led 2-0 early in the final before West Germany rallied for a 3-2 victory . MARACANAZO (1950) There was no winner-take all final in 1950, only a final group stage, but the climactic match between Brazil and Uruguay decided the title. The host Brazilians had won their previous two games by a combined 13-2 and needed only a draw against Uruguay to win the World Cup. But the visitors rallied in the second half for a 2-1 victory at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. The match is known as the “Maracanazo.” BELO HORIZONTE (1950) Earlier in that 1950 tournament, England endured its own massive upset, losing 1-0 to the U.S. in Belo Horizonte. A goal by Joe Gaetjens in the first half held up until the end. Neither team made it out of that group. The U.S. would not win another World Cup match until 1994.<doc-sep>Bookie’s update No. 3: The World Cup has moved on to the round of 16, and we have one big upset thus far. Host nation Russia stunned title favorite Spain in penalty kicks to advance to the quarterfinals. Spain entered the game installed at -170 to win the game in regulation. Russia was a heavy underdog at +525, while a draw in regulation was +225. If you bet Russia, congrats, and if you bet draw in regulation, congrats as well! Bookie’s update No. 2: Group F has the second huge upset of the World Cup. Two weeks after Mexico knocked off Germany, South Korea sprung an even more unexpected upset of the German squad. South Korea scored in the second minute of final stoppage time to take a 1-0 lead, and added a second goal in the sixth minute of final stoppage time to walk away with a 2-0 victory. South Korea entered the game as much as a +1800 underdog, according to Odds Shark. That means, if you bet $100 on South Korea to beat Germany, you won $1,800. By comparison, Mexico was “only” +600 over Germany. South Korea will not advance thanks to Sweden’s win over Mexico, but they did knock Germany out of the tournament. And they scored the biggest upset of the tournament thus far. Bookie’s update: We have our biggest “unexpected” draw of the World Cup thus far. Switzerland scored an equalizer against Brazil in the 50th minute, and held on to earn a 1-1 draw in their World Cup opener. Brazil was installed at -315 to win, while Switzerland was a +1050 underdog. A draw was going off at +360, which exceeded the odds for Iceland’s draw against Argentina. The 2018 World Cup is off to a crazy start, with four unexpected results — including an Iran win over Morocco, Iceland’s draw against Argentina, and Portugal playing to a draw against Spain — the craziest of which happened on Sunday. Mexico’s goal at the 35 minute mark held up in a wild 1-0 victory over Germany. Of course, as this game and three others showed us, things are always unpredictable in tournament format: Mexico fans should not count their chickens about advancing out of the group stage quite yet. Mexico entered the game as a huge underdog to Germany, with the moneyline at +600 when the match started. That means, if you bet $100 on Mexico to win the game outright, you won $600 (plus your $100 bet). This is the biggest upset of the tournament thus far, but we’ve seen three other upsets from a gambling perspective. Saturday saw Iceland secure a draw against Argentina. Iceland was a big underdog to win, and even just tying was set as high as +385. The craziness got started on Friday, however, when Iran at +320 beat Morocco, and Portugal and Spain played to a draw (+220). Mexico will be favored over their remaining two opponents, but as the first week of the World Cup has shown us, upsets could abound. If you’re betting on World Cup matches the next few weeks, don’t expect the wins to come easy!<doc-sep>Russia defeated Spain in the knockout stage of the World Cup, 4-3, on penalty kicks. Russia's goalkeeper, Igor Akinfeev, made an incredible save with his foot on Spain's final kick. It is the biggest upset ever in the knockout stage and the third biggest upset overall in World Cup history. Russia pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history when they defeated Spain on PKs. The two sides were still tied, 1-1, after 90 minutes plus 30 minutes of extra time, with Spain scoring on a Russian own goal and Russia converting a penalty after Spain committed a handball in the box. It was the first match of the tournament to go to penalty kicks. After both teams converted their first two PKs, Russia took the lead in the third round when Igor Akinfeev stopped Koke's attempt. In the fifth round, Iago Aspas needed to convert his try to keep Spain alive. Akinfeev made an incredible save, kicking the attempt down the middle away with his boot and sending the host nation on to the quarterfinals. Based on Russia's ranking of 70th in the world, this match was the biggest upset ever in the knockout stage of the World Cup, and the third biggest upset overall. Spain entered the knockout stage as one of the favorites to reach the final as the best team on the weaker side of the bracket. Instead, this side of the bracket is now wide open. More World Cup coverage:<doc-sep>
Just like every other World Cup, this one was no short of surprises as the defending champions Germany were knocked out in the group stage. One of the tournament favorites, Argentina were decimated 0-3 by Luka Modric’s Croatia and they could not manage to proceed beyond the round of 16. Hosts Russia also shocked everyone when they knocked Spain out in the round of 16. ALSO READ: 2018 FIFA World Cup | The Dream XI from quarter-finals Before we proceed to the semi-finals, these are the five biggest upsets from this World Cup, which was full of them. Germany vs South Korea (0-2) This was easily the biggest shock of the World Cup as defending champions Germany were knocked out at the hands of Asian giants South Korea. Germany had lost their first match to Mexico and needed a win to go through to the next round. The score remained 0-0 till the 90th minute and Germany kept on pushing for the winner. To everyone’s surprise, South Korea scored at the other end with a brisk counter-attack as the mighty Germans were sent packing after their first ever defeat against an Asian team. Spain vs Russia (3-4 on penalties) Spain never looked convincing throughout the World Cup. They drew against Portugal and Morocco and barely managed to win against Iran. They topped their group and got a comparatively easy passage through to the finals but they still managed to somehow lose to Russia in the round of 16. Spain took an early lead but Russia bounced back with an equaliser by Artem Dzyuba. The score remained 1-1 till the end of extra-time and Russia won 4-3 on penalties as Iago Aspas and Koke missed their shots. Argentina vs Croatia (0-3) Argentina were one of the favorites to win the World Cup but they criminally underperformed. They drew their opening match 1-1 against Iceland and Leo Messi even missed a penalty. They faced Croatia in their next match in a must win scenario but they were destroyed by a dynamic Croatian side as they lost 0-3. Real Madrid’s Luka Modric was the star for Croatia as they pulled one of the biggest upsets ever at the World Cup. Japan vs Colombia (2-1) Japan were easily the best Asian side in this World Cup and they proved their might by defeating Colombia 2-1 in their opening match. Japan ultimately went down fighting against a very strong Belgium side, but their players went home with their heads held high. Colombia got a red card in the third minute as Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a handball inside the box and Shinji Kagawa converted from the spot. Colombia equalised but Yuya Osako scored the winner for Japan in the 73rd minute as Japan became one of the very few Asian teams to defeat a South American one. Brazil Vs Belgium (1-2) This is considered to be Belgium’s golden generation and they finally proved their might as they knocked Brazil out of the World Cup with a comprehensive 2-1 win. Fernandinho opened the scoring for Belgium with an own goal early in the first half. Kevin De Bryune extended Belgium’s lead with a thunderous strike from outside the box as Belgium went 2-0 up.