Football

An unforgettable underdog victory has the power to leave you awestruck. These moments are so iconic that we can vividly recall where we were and what we were doing when they unfolded.

If you’re feeling inspired to back an underdog yourself, check out the latest sports promotions for offers on all the top football matches.

Or dive into past trends and level up your knowledge with famous underdog victories, starting with shocking World Cup upsets and more.

What is an underdog win?

Most football seasons see several surprising results, but some see results that almost defy belief.

An underdog is a competitor expected to lose, often against a stronger favourite. When the underdog wins, it’s called an upset.

This post dives into the most sensational underdog victories in international football—when long shots stunned the world and championed the underdog spirit!

The top 10 famous underdog football victories

From the World Cup to the Euros, every top competition and league has seen its fair share of wow moments. Here are ten footy fans should know.

1. USA 1-0 England (1950 World Cup Finals)

The US and England both have their own versions of football, and when it comes to soccer, most assume England is the stronger team. But this wasn't the case in 1950!

The tournament's biggest shock came in the Group phase when a talented England team featuring Tom Finney, Stan Mortenson, Billy Wright and Alf Ramsey faced a team of amateurs from the United States.

Incredibly, the USA won 1-0, with Joe Gaetjens scoring the winning goal. Prior to the game, the USA had lost their previous seven matches, scoring twice and conceding 45 goals.

Fun Fact: One English newspaper thought the Telex machine had made a mistake and reported the scoreline as USA 0-10 England.

2. West Germany 1-2 Algeria (1982 World Cup Finals)

Nobody gave Algeria hope against the very strong West Germany team in 1982, but after 55 minutes, Rabat Madjer gave Algeria a shock lead.

⚽️ Karl-Heinz Rummenigge levelled for Germany on 68 minutes, but just a minute later, Lakdhar Belluomi scored a second for Algeria to hand them a sensational win.

Despite the win, Algeria would go out of the tournament in controversial circumstances when Austria and West Germany conspired to allow Germany to win 1-0, which sent both Austria and Germany into the second round, eliminating Algeria.

3. Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia (2022 World Cup Finals)

Argentina may have won the 2022 World Cup Finals, but they were on the end of a huge shock in the tournament's group stages.

👉 In the first half, Argentina took the lead through a Lionel Messi penalty and had three goals ruled out for offside.

In the second half, Saleh Al Shehri equalised for Saudi Arabia, and moments later, Salem Al Dawsari’s stunning strike put them ahead.

4. Italy 0-1 North Korea (1966 World Cup Finals)

Two-time World Champions Italy simply had to beat North Korea to reach the quarterfinals of the 1966 World Cup.

Many thought this would be a simple win for the Italians. However, Pak Doo Ik had other ideas.

The Korean forward scored the goal, which saw North Korea clinch a 1-0 win at Ayresome Park over the Italians in a stunning upset.

To make matters more impressive, they also made Portugal sweat in the quarterfinal at Goodison Park, taking a 3-0 lead before a Eusebio-inspired Portugal struck back to win 5-3.

5. Argentina 0-1 Cameroon (1990 World Cup Finals)

Defending World Cup champions Argentina, led by the legendary Diego Maradona, had the honour of kicking off the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

Their opening clash with African underdogs Cameroon seemed straightforward—until the unexpected happened.

After a nail-biting, goalless first half, Cameroon shocked the world as François Omam-Biyik’s header slipped past Nery Pumpido. Down to ten, then nine men, Cameroon held their ground to claim a sensational, history-making victory.

6. England 1-2 Iceland (2016 European Championship)

Roy Hodgson’s England started their Round of 16 tie with Iceland well. Wayne Rooney converted a fourth-minute penalty, bringing smiles to fans across the nation.

👀 However, Iceland had other ideas—ones you wouldn’t expect from a county of 390,000 people.

The Nordic country struck back just two minutes later through Ragnar Sigurdsson, and soon after, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s effort slipped past Joe Hart, giving Iceland a stunning 2-1 lead.

England could not penetrate Iceland’s defence, and in truth, the underdogs fully deserved the win, which saw Roy Hodgson resign in the aftermath.

7. France 0-1 Senegal (2002 FIFA World Cup Finals)

Defending Champions France were expected to put up a good performance in defence of the World Cup they won in Paris in 1998.

In their opener, they faced a relatively unknown force at the time: Senegal.

The African side shocked France and Pape Bouba-Diop’s goal in the first half was enough to stun the world and hand Senegal the win.

8. Wales 3-1 Belgium (2016 European Championship)

In the 2016 European Championships, the Belgian Golden Generation was at its peak. The likes of Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Vincent Kompany, Thibault Courtois proved the team’s dominance.

So, when they faced plucky Wales in the quarterfinals, many expected an easy win.

Belgium took an early lead through Radja Nainggolan, but Wales fought back. Ashley Williams equalised before a brilliant Hal Robson-Kanu finish and a stunning Sam Vokes header five minutes from time sealed a historic 3-1 win, sending Wales to the semi-finals.

9. Greece 1-0 Portugal (2004 European Championship)

Greece produced upset after upset to win the 2004 European Championship, but there was no bigger surprise than winning the final against the hosts, Portugal.

The Greeks had already beaten Portugal 2-1 in the Group Stages but in the final, revenge was expected for the hosts.

However, Angelos Charisteas headed home from a corner on 57 minutes to secure the win for Greece and stun the home fans.

10. Denmark 2-0 Germany (1992 European Championship)

The 1992 European Championships saw Denmark replace Yugoslavia at the last minute. Most Danish players were on holiday before the tournament and weren’t expected to make much of an impact.

🏆 Despite that, they qualified from their group and reached the final to face the mighty Germany.

However, the Danes didn’t read the script as goals in each half from John Jensen and Kim Vilfort secured the trophy for the underdogs.

Last thoughts on iconic underdog football wins

Professional football is full of surprises, and the greatest underdog victories are the ones we never forget. Do you remember where you were for any of the wins on this list?

From Denmark’s holidaymakers to Iceland’s fairytale win, these matches remind us that anything can happen on the pitch. So, next time you place a bet, maybe consider backing the underdog!

Explore more betting and iGaming news today. Explore the Roger blog online here.