Argentina have turn out to be the newest aspect to undergo a shock World Cup defeat – however how does it examine to among the earlier jaw-dropping losses?
Football followers watched in amazement as Lionel Messi’s aspect – one of many favourites to win this 12 months’s match – have been crushed 2-1 by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning.
It seemed like it might be plain crusing for the South Americans when Messi scored a penalty to place his aspect 1-0 up.
But Saudi Arabia, who’re 51st within the FIFA world rankings, fought again with objectives from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari to report a historic win.
Here Sky News seems to be at among the different largest shocks within the historical past of soccer’s most prestigious match.
Argentina 0 Cameroon 1 – Italy 1990
It isn’t the primary time that Argentina have suffered a shock defeat at a World Cup.
Back at Italia 90, they have been crushed 1-0 by Cameroon, in what’s regarded to be one of many largest World Cup upsets.
Managed by Russian coach Valery Nepomnyashchy and led by 38-year-old striker Roger Milla, Cameroon confronted a tricky group with Argentina, Romania and the Soviet Union.
But they began in excellent type, beating an Argentina aspect that includes Diego Maradona due to a second-half header from Francois Omam-Biyik.
Cameroon went on to beat Romania, earlier than shedding 4-0 to the Soviet Union. They topped the group and beat Colombia within the second spherical, earlier than shedding in extra-time to England within the quarter-finals.
North Korea 1 – Italy 0 – England 1966
While for England followers 1966 will evoke recollections of World Cup victory, it’s fairly a distinct story for Italy.
That is as a result of they have been on the improper finish of one of many largest World Cup upsets in historical past, shedding 1-0 to North Korea at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough.
The warning indicators ought to have been there for Italy, with North Korea beating Australia 9-2 on mixture throughout a two-leg playoff to make it to the World Cup finals.
Italy, in the meantime, have been a crew struggling for type, having been eradicated early in 1954, failing to qualify in 1958 and once more being knocked out early in 1962.
After beating Chile 2-0, after which shedding to the Soviet Union 1-0, they struggled early towards North Korea, who scored the one purpose of the sport late within the second-half by means of Pak Doo-ik.
South Korea 2 Italy 1 – Korea/Japan 2002
Italy have been additionally on the tip of one other World Cup shock in 2002, after they confronted co-hosts South Korea.
Featuring superstars together with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, legendary defender Paolo Maldini and a entrance line with Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti, many had Italy as one of many favourites for the match.
But they have been crushed 2-1 by South Korea throughout an exhilarating spherical of 16 tie.
Christian Vieri gave Italy an early lead with a robust header on 18 minutes.
But South Korea managed a late equaliser by means of Seol Ki Hyeon to push the sport into extra-time.
With the sport trying destined for penalties, Jung-Hwan Ahn scored a tap-in within the 117th minute to dump Italy out and ship South Korea by means of.
France 0 Senegal 1 – Korea/Japan 2002
The South Korea-Japan World Cup threw up a shock early on within the match when Senegal surprised defending champions France 1-0.
France featured a stellar squad, with the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry.
But an damage to Zidane early on appeared to disrupt France’s rhythm, whereas the then little-known however gifted El Hadji Diouf took a starring position.
The ahead, who would later transfer to Liverpool after impressing within the match, harassed the French defence all through and compelled a mistake which was capitalised on by the sport’s solely goalscorer, Papa Bouba Diop.
The match solely acquired worse for France, who have been dumped out on the group stage, whereas Senegal battled by means of to the quarter-final earlier than struggling an extra-time defeat to Turkey.
England 0 USA 1 – Brazil 1950
Later became a movie named ‘The Miracle Match’ because of the dimension of the upset, England’s defeat to the USA is considered one of the crucial stunning in World Cup historical past.
England, making their debut within the match, have been heavy favourites towards a US crew consisting largely of part-time gamers, amongst them a highschool trainer and a dishwasher.
The Three Lions have been referred to as the ‘Kings of Football’ on the time, with a powerful post-war report of 23 wins, 4 losses and three attracts, together with a 10-0 win towards Portugal.
England’s star participant Stanley Matthews was rested for the sport, which US coach was so pessimistic about that he declared previous to the sport: ‘We don’t have any likelihood’.
But Haitian-born Joe Gaetjens scored the one purpose in what could be a heroic 1-0 victory for the US.
The crew was later profiled in a guide named The Game of their Lives, which was later into a movie of the identical identify – later named The Miracle Match.
Source: information.sky.com”