By Tushaar Kuthiala

The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage has been headlined by two shock exits. Germany, which rounds out the top 10 in the FIFA rankings, was eliminated by Paraguay, ranked 41, in a penalty shoot-out. The Netherlands, which had entered the tournament as one of the favorites to win, also lost on penalties to Morocco. England and Belgium survived scares of their own and advanced to the round of 16 with narrow come-from-behind wins against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal, respectively. The United States, however, advanced to the second knockout round for the first time in more than two decades, beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0. All eyes are now on Cabo Verde, which will face Argentina in a David vs. Goliath match on July 3. 

© Karim Jaafar—AFP/Getty Images

Five European (Italy, Germany, England, France, and Spain) and three South American (Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina) countries have maintained a tight hold on the FIFA World Cup for nearly a century. It should then come as no surprise that the vast majority of football fans, especially those from countries regarded as having little chance of lifting the trophy, get more excited at seeing a surprise result or a shocking upset at the World Cup. 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has showcased its share of close encounters and high-scoring thrillers. Cabo Verde defied all odds to draw with traditional heavyweights Spain and Uruguay in consecutive matches. Canada’s 6–0 blowout win against Qatar and the Netherlands’ 5–1 hammering of Sweden were some of the other eye-catching results from the group stage. And Germany and the Netherlands’ shock exits in the round of 32 are stark reminders of how chaotic the World Cup’s knockout phase can get.

The World Cup’s diverse history teaches us to expect the unexpected, such as an underdog going on a Cinderella run or a reigning champion crashing out in the group stage. There’s no shortage of teams that rise above themselves to deliver legendary performances and take your breath away.

Notable underdog victories include Senegal inflicting an opening-day shock defeat on defending champion France at the 2002 World Cup and South Korea eliminating reigning champion Germany from the 2018 World Cup in the group stage, marking the first time the latter team failed to advance to the knockout phase since 1938. 

One of the most epic upsets in the tournament’s history occurred when Uruguay broke the hearts of millions of Brazilian fans in the 1950 World Cup decider at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium. The epic confrontation, which saw Uruguay score an upset 2–1 win over Brazil to earn its second World Cup, has since been dubbed “El Maracanazo” (“the smash at the Maracanã”).

Sometimes a shock defeat has served as a wake-up call for the losing team. Spain (in 2010) and Argentina (in 2022) suffered shock defeats against Switzerland and Saudi Arabia, respectively, before going on to win the tournament.

Enjoy this trip down memory lane as we recap some of the most shocking upsets in the World Cup’s 96-year history.

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Credit: Simon Stacpoole—Offside/Getty Images

Brazilian striker Richarlison popped a cross into the air, spun, and struck a spectacular acrobatic volley past Serbia’s helpless goalkeeper at the 2022 World Cup. (Watch the previous goals in the series.)

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