10 Biggest World Cup Upsets Of All Time

Unquestionably the biggest upset on this list, the team of American semi-professionals defeating an England team poised to win the tournament has since been made into both a book and a film.

And justifiably so.

Prior to the 1950 World Cup, England hadn't competed in the tournament, with a long and often contentious history between FIFA and the home nations leading to no British sides having ever chosen to participate in the competition. However, having rejoined the organisation after World War II, the 1950 tournament would prove to be the first opportunity for the home of football to lift the Jules Rimet trophy.

A comfortable 2-0 victory against Chile in their first game put England in pole position to qualify for the final group stage but that would not be the case. Haitian-born Joe Gaetjens deflected a shot goalward past English keeper Bert Williams to earn a shock lead. The USA side, managed by Scotsman William Jeffery managed to hold on, earning a historic victory, with every member of the team honoured with induction into the United States National Soccer Hall of Fame.

A demoralised and embarrassed England would lose again in their final group game and failed to qualify for the final stages. The USA team would also go on to lose their final game and narrowly miss out on the final group, but with the game still talked about 68 years later, the team had made themselves legends of the American game.