Five times Asian teams pulled off upsets at FIFA World Cup

The teams from the biggest continent have punched above their weights quite a number of times.

The most significant sports event, the FIFA World Cup is currently underway in Qatar. When it comes to football, people think about Europe or South America. Still, over the years of this prestigious tournament, many Asian countries have stepped up and done the impossible of beating the footballing giants. Over the years, Asian countries like South Korea and Japan have shown quality in their football and developed their style of play. Players like Son have made their mark with their performance in top European leagues.

Let’s see the top five upsets pulled off by the Asians on a footballing giant in the World Cup.

North Korea vs Italy

World Cup 1966, England

For the North Koreans, it was their first world cup and to start their campaign they were drawn into the group of death with Italy, Chile and the Soviet Union. Everybody thought that North Korea would be run down by every team and will be sent home quickly. But much to everyone’s surprise they not only beat Italy 1-0 but also reached the knockout stage of the competition, becoming the first Asian team to do so.

Italy vs South Korea

World Cup 2002, South Korea and Japan

When it comes to getting upsets by an Asian side in World Cup, the Azzurris have their fair share. They were beaten by both North and South Korea in their World Cup history. The recent blow came during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 stage. The Blues were facing the home side of South Korea for a spot in the quarters. The power-packed Italian side lost the match 2-1, with Ahn Jung-hwan scoring the winner in the 117th minute. The game soon got shrouded in controversy with many accusing the referee of favouring the Koreans.

Germany vs South Korea

World Cup 2018, Russia

Germany were the defending champions and were drawn with Sweden, Mexico and South Korea. Having lost the first game to Mexico and won the second against Sweden, the game with South Korea became a must-win match for the Germans to proceed to the next round. But their hopes soon got shattered when they faced South Korea, which resulted in a score line of 2-0 against the Germans. For the South Korean side, Kim Young Gwon opened the scoring in the 90+2’ and Son Heung Min sealed the victory with his goal in the 90+6’ goal. The extra-time goals shattered the expectation of the German fans and ended their journey in the World Cup 2018.

Argentina vs Saudi Arabia

World Cup 2022, Qatar

One of the recent debacles, shocked football fans across the globe. The Albiceleste were the favourites to win the tournament, but their start was not at all good. Argentina was on a 36 games unbeaten streak and was expected to continue that, but Saudi Arabia stood in their way. They handed the Argentines their first defeat after 36 matches with a scoreline of 2-1. With Messi’s first-half penalty, Argentina took the lead and were dominating the game. But in the second half, Saudi Arabia came with new energy and scored two goals in a span of five minutes. The Albiceleste were unable to equal that and eventually lost the game.

Japan vs Germany

World Cup 2022, Qatar

Germany is another country to have been the victim of Asian upsets in the World Cup. The FIFA world cup in Qatar witnessed another fiasco when Japan defeated Germany in their first group-stage match. Japan has developed their football in recent years and is one of the finest Asian teams. Germany on the other hand is one of the best footballing nations. But as it turns out, Japan managed to defeat Germany 2-1. The Germans took the lead with a penalty by Gundogan in the 33rd minute but were soon outscored with goals in 75th and 83rd minutes.