The World Cup usually highlights football’s greatest powers, but favoritism does not always prevail. Over the decades, the tournament was also marked by unlikely results, when teams considered less traditional surprised giants of the sport. These unexpected victories became known in football as “zebras” and helped build part of the World Cup’s allure.
With the next edition scheduled for 2026, the history of the World Cup continues to be full of episodes in which the script seemed written for one side, but ended completely differently on the field.
The “Miracle of Belo Horizonte” in 1950
One of the first big shocks in the history of the World Cup took place in Brazil, in 1950. In the group stage, the United States defeated England 1-0 in Belo Horizonte.
The result earned the nickname “Miracle of Belo Horizonte”. The English team was seen as one of the strongest in the world, while the North Americans had a squad made up largely of semi-professional players, many with other occupations outside of football. Still, Joe Gaetjens’ goal secured a historic victory that remains one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
North Korea eliminates Italy in 1966
Another surprise that entered World Cup folklore occurred in England, in 1966. North Korea beat Italy 1-0 and eliminated the Europeans in the group stage.
The victory placed the Asians in the quarter-finals and caused enormous repercussions in Italian football, which underwent structural changes after their early elimination. To this day, the episode is remembered as one of the World Cups.
Algeria overthrows West Germany in 1982
In its debut in the history of the World Cup, Algeria produced another surprising result. In the 1982 edition, in Spain, the African team defeated West Germany 2-1.
The victory represented the first time that an African team beat a European power in World Cups, expanding the international recognition of football on the continent.
Cameroon beats champions Argentina in 1990
At the opening of the Italian Cup, in 1990, another historic upset occurred. Cameroon defeated Argentina, then world champion and led by Diego Maradona, 1-0.
Even though the match ended with two players sent off, the Africans held on to the result and began a remarkable campaign that ended in the quarter-finals, the best of an African team so far.
Senegal surprises France in 2002
The debut of the 2002 World Cup also produced one of the biggest surprises of the century. A, lost 1-0 to Senegal, who were playing in their first World Cup.
The result symbolized the emerging strength of African football and paved the way for the Senegalese’s historic campaign, which reached the quarter-finals.
Recent surprises in the 21st century
Even with the evolution of football and greater access to information about opponents, upsets continue to happen. Some recent examples reinforce that the unpredictable is still part of the World Cup.
In 2014, Costa Rica led a group that brought together three world champions — Uruguay, Italy and England — and reached the quarterfinals. In 2018, Germany, the 2014 champion, was eliminated after losing 2-0 to South Korea in the group stage.
Another result that made the list occurred in 2022, when Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1 in , breaking a long undefeated streak for the South Americans.
