Ranking the Top 10 Greatest Victories by Underdogs in Sports History
Let’s imagine you wake up one morning, and after sitting down to take your coffee, you realize that a mouse is chasing your very ferocious cat. I bet you’ll first of all clean your eyes and try to ask yourself if you’re still asleep. This is the case when soccer underdogs, which in this case will be the rats, have mind-blowing victories against big teams.
Based on these statistics, some teams are naturally at an advantage and built to devour others, like a cat would do a mouse. This is primarily because of the quality of players, managers, experience, and, in some cases, their fan base. So when an underdog beats one of these teams, it is always a memorable experience.
We have compiled the top 10 greatest victories by underdogs; you might be surprised to see your favorite team has been in that position before. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this bumpy yet fun ride.
When Preys become Predators: A look at Greatest Soccer Victories by Underdogs
This section will objectively rank the most significant underdog victories that rocked soccer news worldwide. The ranking is a result of premium research and is based on team strength, player form, abilities, and records. Let’s go!
1. Senegal’s 1-0 Debut against France, 2002 FIFA World Cup
Imagine returning as the defending champions only to meet with a defeat from the tournament’s newbies; yeah, that must have stung. Senegal debuted in the World Cup tournament and surprised the world with a 1:0 win over France.
They denied the champions, a team composed of Zidane, Thierry Henry, and Claude Makelele, an easy win, as everyone would have expected with a 30th-minute goal from Papa Diop.
2. Wigan Iconic 1-0 FA Final win against Manchester City, 2013
Of course, Iconic it was indeed. Wigan Athletic’s win against Manchester City was an expected one and gave the team their first major trophy in nearly a century. This club, a relegation due 18th position holder in the Premier League then, showed the 2nd place holders how it was done at Wembley stadium.
The Vincent Kompany-led team watched in awe as a goal from Ben Watson rocked the back of the net. This game, indeed, ended the 81 years trophyless jinx.
3. Cameroon’s “Indomitable” Run in the 1990 World Cup
During their second appearance in the World Cup, Cameroon, indeed, amazed the soccer world. However, despite being paired with Argentina (the defending champions and two-time winner then), they topped the group. They stunned Argentina (1-0) and Romania (2-1) in the group stage.
In the round of 16, they tore down Colombia (2-1), and the next challenge would be against England giants. All good things, they say, come to an end, though; the Indomitable Lions were beaten 3-2 by England in a deeply contested Quarterfinal match. Indeed a thrilling and surprising underdog run.
4. Rubin Kazan 2-1 win over Barcelona 2009 Champions League
Rubin Kazan, a Russian club, showed their worth against the mighty Barcelona in the group stage of the 2009 Champions League. What made it more fantastic is that no one would have expected it to have happened at Camp Nou, Barcelona’s home stadium.
This team held their ground and secured a 2-1 win over the Laliga side wielding human weapons like Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Carles Puyol, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, etc. Pretty impressive.
5. Nottingham Forest Premier League Win 1978
We all love a good underdog story; it draws compassion from our hearts. But imagine Burnley or Sheffield United winning the Premier League next season. That would get a lot of attention, right? That was precisely what Nottingham Forest did in the 1977/1978 season.
After being narrowly promoted to the first division of the premier league, they went on to win the race with a clean seven points. They did this under the umbrella of Brian Clough and players like Kenny Burns, Peter Shilton, etc.
6. Montpellier wins Ligue 1 title
The dominance of the English League in this underdog story is very prominent, but that doesn’t mean leagues like Ligue 1 do experience it. Montpellier, a club you probably never see in the news or have never heard of, shocked the soccer world in the 2011/2012 season when they wore the French league crown.
After finishing the previous season relatively poorly and working on a low budget, the odds they would win the league were 80:1. However, they still managed to outshine clubs like PSG, Monaco, Marseille, etc. They performed this feat with players like Geoffrey Jourdren, Gary Bocaly, and Olivier Giroud.
7. Sunderland’s Black Cats defeats Chelsea by a whooping 3-0
In 2010, Chelseas was definitely on fire; no one could steal their show or dim their shine. They had won the previous campaign and were topping the table with an impressive 28 points in 12 matches, but no goals had yet been conceded. All these were before Sunderland tore the veil to reveal their weakness.
The Sunderland players filled Stamford Bridge that day, and Nedum Onuoha hit the first goal at half-time. Goals from Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck finished it off during the second half. No one would have predicted that such could befall the Carlo Ancelotti-led Chelsea at that point, and not from Sunderland.
8. Leicester Premier 2015/2016 Premier League Win
Have you ever heard of a team winning against 5000:1 odds? That’s Leicester City. After finishing off in the 14th position in the previous season, this club did what could be described as relatively impossible in one of the world’s most competitive leagues.
With the explosive help of N’Golo Kante, Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, and the talented hands of Coach Claudio Ranieri, they finished as champions of the league with a whopping 10 points to brag of. You can keep track of these champions by following soccer matches today.
9. Greece’s performance against Portugal in UEFA Euro 2004
Many would describe 2004 as the start of the Golden Era for Portugal. This was not just because they were the host; it was the debut of the star Cristiano Ronaldo in the tournament and the era of Luis Figo, Ruis Costa, etc.
However, Greece’s seemingly less impressive side upset this team with their outstanding performance. They beat the host 2-1 in the group stage and 1:0 in the finals to lift the cup. A stellar performance indeed.
10. Aston Villa vs Liverpool (2020), a 7:2 Ass-whooping
It’s not every day you hear of “The Reds” getting beaten; if you do, then not by such a wide margin and not by a team that ended on position 17 the year before. However, “The Villians” gave Liverpool a sound trashing.
Ollie Watkins scored a hattrick, Jack Grealish scored two and provided five assists. Mohammed Salah tried to heal the wound with two goals, but it was grossly insufficient. Are you asking yourself how you missed such a memorable event? Keep in touch with soccer events with SocaPro.
This is Soccer, and Anything can happen!
As you have seen from our detailed ranking above, this is soccer; anything can definitely happen. Underdogs also have time to shine and can have the sun of victory rising over their heads, even in the most unlikely situations. These beautiful moments can be relieved by watching the match highlights. So, when next you hear of a match between two teams that are far apart on the table, you should be excited. You can never tell, you might be adding one more underdog victory to the list above. Here you find more related articles Visit our website for more content like this!
