Al Jazeera highlights historic World Cup shocks ahead of 2026 tournament
Publication uses upcoming global event to contextualise past defeats of heavyweights by underdogs
Al Jazeera published a retrospective analysis on 25 May 2026 detailing the most significant upsets in FIFA World Cup history, utilising the upcoming 2026 tournament as a framework for the review. The article identifies ten major historical shocks, ranging from the 1950 United States victory over England to Saudi Arabia’s defeat of Argentina in 2022.
The publication notes that the 1950 tournament in Brazil saw an American squad of part-timers, including a dishwasher and a letter carrier, defeat the heavily favoured English team. Joe Gaetjens scored the only goal in the 38th minute, while goalkeeper Frank Borghi prevented England from equalising despite a relentless second-half attack.
In 1954, West Germany secured a 3-2 victory over Hungary in the final, an event described as the "Miracle of Bern". Hungary had entered as favourites, having defeated South Korea 9-0 and West Germany 8-3 in earlier matches. Helmut Rahn scored the winning goal in the 84th minute to complete the comeback.
The 1966 tournament in England featured North Korea’s 1-0 win over Italy. Italy played with 10 men after midfielder Giacomo Bulgarelli was injured, as substitutions were not permitted at the time. Pak Doo Ik scored the decisive goal seven minutes after the injury, knocking out the two-time world champions.
Algeria’s 2-1 victory over West Germany in 1982 is cited as another key upset. Rabah Madjer scored in the 54th minute to break the deadlock, and Lakhdar Belloumi added a second goal after Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had equalised for the Germans, who entered the tournament as reigning European champions.
Cameroon’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the 1990 opening match is highlighted, with Francois Omam-Biyik scoring from a free kick. Senegal’s 1-0 victory over France in 2002 is also noted, with Papa Bouba Diop scoring in the 30th minute to send the holders out of the tournament.
The 2014 World Cup produced two major shocks. In the group stage, the Netherlands defeated Spain 5-1, with Robin van Persie scoring a notable header. In the semi-final, Germany defeated Brazil 7-1, a result termed a national humiliation for the host nation, particularly after star forward Neymar Jr was injured prior to the match.
Germany’s 2-0 loss to South Korea in 2018 is included, where Kim Young-gwon scored in injury time and an own goal sealed the result. The defeat marked the first time since 1938 that Germany failed to advance beyond the first stage.
Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win over Argentina in 2022 rounds out the list. Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari scored to overturn an early penalty by Lionel Messi, sending Saudi fans into raptures despite the team’s eventual exit in the group stages.
The article serves as a historical reference point as the world prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, emphasising the unpredictable nature of the tournament where defending champions have frequently been knocked out in the group stages.
