10 Greatest World Cup Underdog Stories
4. South Korea (2002)
South Korea's successful run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals was wrought with controversy, but there can be no denying that the plucky young South Korean squad put in some impressive performances along the way to an historic fourth place finish.
Drawn alongside Poland, Portugal, and the United States, South Korea surprised everyone in the group stage by going undefeated and topping the table thanks to impressive victories over Poland and Portugal. Then came the knockout game against Italy, a clash marred by bizarre refereeing decisions, which South Korea won 2-1 thanks to a golden goal from Ahn Jung-Hwan.
The fairy tale continued in the quarter final contest with Spain, in which South Korea held out for a 0-0 draw and won 5-3 on penalties. Again, it was a controversial game as Spain had two goals ruled out by the officials, who were retrospectively investigated for corruption. After that game, the team was finally beaten in the semi-finals by Germany. South Korea's incredible run will always be a memorable one, but not necessarily for the best reasons.