When the Odds Were Wrong: The Biggest Upsets in Football History
The beauty of sports is that you never know what’s going to happen. Favourites usually win in high-level soccer games, but that’s far from guaranteed. History is full of examples where complete underdogs carried the day and defeated highly touted rivals. Upsets happen from time to time at all levels of football including top national leagues and international tournaments, and each shocking result reminds us that skill alone doesn’t bring victory – there are also intangibles such as effort and team cohesion, not to mention sheer luck.
This list of greatest upsets includes some true David vs. Goliath stories that make it easier to keep believing in sports miracles in the era of big budget football and proves that odds given by leading online sportsbooks can be wrong sometimes. Of course, brands like woom bet sportsbook and others in the niche strive to have the best, most accurate odds for their users all year round.
EURO 2016 – Iceland – England (2:1)
Tiny island nation wasn’t even expected to make it to the tournament – this was their first time ever qualifying for the European Championship. Once there, they didn’t waste too much time announcing their arrival, as they sailed through a tough group stage without a defeat. That set them up for a meeting against a football powerhouse in the round of 16. Islanders pulled off one last shocker when they knocked out the favoured rival and reached the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, their Cinderella run came to an end in the next round but the Nordic country will forever cherish this event and especially their win against a strong England team with championship ambitions.
EURO 2004 – Greece – Portugal (1-0)
In the final round of the European Championship, Portugal was expected to make quick work of the pesky Greeks who were considered to be out of their league. The match was played in Lisbon and the fans were ready for a celebration. They probably should have been more worried, as the two teams already met in group play with Greece claiming a surprise 2-1 victory. Still, with pre-tournament odds of just 1-150 to win the title and nearly complete lack of big game pedigree, Greeks were not taken seriously. After an uneventful first half, Greece finally managed to create a chance and promptly scored following a corner kick. While Portugal frenetically tried to respond, the underdog held to the advantage and won the first European crown.
World Cup 2022 – Saudi Arabia – Argentina (2-1)
Star-studded Argentinian squad headlined by all-time great Lionel Messi was served a rude awakening in the opening match of the World Cup. The match was supposed to be a warm up for the South American juggernaut, and it started that way – Messi scored on a penalty kick and potent Argentinian attack resulted in constant pressure on the opponent’s goal. The Saudi team refused to roll over and die, and mounted a furious comeback in the second half, scoring twice in a ten-minute span. Stunned favourites couldn’t muster an appropriate response and dropped the game to a team that nobody thought stood a chance. However, that didn’t prevent Argentina from advancing to the finals and winning the tournament in the end.
World Cup 1950 – USA – England (1-0)
This may be one of the most baffling World Cup scores of all time. Back in the day, there wasn’t too much interest in the US for football while England was at the height of its dominance. In fact, American team was composed of part-time players as opposed to professional footballers filling the ranks of the English squad. When the team met in the group stage, everyone expected a one-sided affair. However, Americans fiercely defended their goal for the first half hour, and then surprised everyone by putting one into the net before the half was over. English attempts to equalise remained futile, and the crowd in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) witnessed the historic victory of a completely unheralded team.
World Cup 1966 – North Korea – Italy (1-0)
It’s rare for Asian countries to beat famed European teams in elite events, let alone for the impoverished and isolated North Korea to claim a World Cup victory over a traditional football nation. That’s exactly what happened in England in 1966. Originally viewed as an afterthought in their group, North Koreans showed some spine by drawing the match against Chile, which put them in a position to advance with a last leg win against the Italians. They managed to score and never relinquished the lead, eliminating the Italian team in eye-opening fashion. While North Korea was knocked out in the Round of 16, it still sent a powerful statement in its first-ever World Cup appearance.
2005 Champions League Final – Liverpool – AC Milan (3:3)
This game is often called The Miracle of Istanbul, and it may be the greatest comeback effort in the history of Champions League. While Liverpool wasn’t too much of an underdog before the match, a disastrous first half put it in an impossible predicament with the Italian team leading 3:0. In the second half, Liverpool came out with an attacking formation and scored 3 goals in rapid succession. With the match ending in a draw, the game proceeded to overtime but the score remained tied. Ultimately, the winner was decided by a penalty shootout and the English side came up victorious, winning a European title for the fifth time in team history
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