Argentina’s nervy defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia continued the great World Cup tradition of unexpected results.
One of the contenders for the coveted trophy, Argentina, were comprehensively beaten by less-fancied Saudi Arabia at Lusail Stadium on Tuesday. (More Football News | Match Report)
Despite taking the lead through Lionel Messi (10' minutes), Argentina succumbed, conceding goals to Al Shehri (48' minutes) and Al Dawsari (53'minutes).
The result is sure to rank among the greatest upsets in the tournament’s history. Let us look at similar shockers in the World Cup over the years.
1) USA 1-0 England (FIFA World Cup 1950)
The Americans are not usually a powerhouse when it comes to football. But in the 1950 World Cup, they stunned the vaunted Englishmen, who had in their ranks names such as Alf Ramsey and Tom Finney. Joe Gaetjens 38th-minute header was enough for the USA to send shockwaves throughout the world.
2) Cameroon 1-0 Argentina (FIFA World Cup 1990)
Argentina's record of upsets goes back a long way. Coming into the tournament, they were the World Cup holders and were led by their talisman, Diego Maradona. In the tournament opener at the San Siro, Cameroon adopted rough tactics to deny their skilled opponents. Halfway into the second half, they got a chance of their own. Francois Omam-Biyik leapt high over the Argentine defence and headed in the winner.
3) France 0-1 Senegal (FIFA World Cup 2002)
The French side boasted some of the best players in the world including Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry. Despite the big names, Senegal remained unfazed by their opposition, as a 30th-minute goal from Papa Bouba Diop was enough to send the French to a numbing defeat.
4) Netherlands 5-1 Spain (FIFA World Cup 2014)
The Dutch were pitted against Spain in a rematch of the 2010 World Cup. Spain were the reigning European and World champions, and when Xabi Alonso opened the scoring, it seemed business as usual for the Spanish Armada. However, Robin van Persie levelled scores, and then the Dutch shipped in goals to hand Spain their second-biggest loss in the World Cup.
5) South Korea 2-0 Germany (FIFA World Cup 2018)
The Germans were handed a harsh lesson in football as South Korea defeated them 2-0 during the 2018 event. Kim Young-Gwon scored from a corner and Son Heung-min scored in the dying minutes as the Germans failed to advance to a World Cup knockout for the first time since 1938.