Surprising events from the history of the men’s World Cup soccer tournament

The 1950 World Cup in Brazil saw the biggest upset in soccer history when amateur Uruguay defeated heavily favored Argentina in the final match.

Italy's entire national team died in a 1949 plane crash, yet they still qualified for and competed in the 1950 World Cup with a rebuilt squad.

North Korea shocked the world by reaching the 1966 World Cup quarterfinals, then defeated Italy—a major football power—in one of sport's greatest upsets.

The 1978 Argentine World Cup featured a controversial second-group-stage match where host Argentina beat Peru 6-0, suspiciously helping them advance over Brazil.

England's 1966 World Cup victory included a controversial goal where the ball may not have fully crossed the line, yet it decided the final against West Germany.

France's 2006 final ended with captain Zinedine Zidane headbutting an Italian player, getting sent off and ending his career in shocking disgrace on soccer's biggest stage.

The 2014 World Cup saw Germany humiliate Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals, Brazil's worst loss ever, devastating an entire nation that expected to win at home.

India withdrew from the 1950 World Cup because FIFA required teams to wear shoes, but Indian players traditionally played barefoot for better ball control.

In 1954, Hungary's magical team lost the final to West Germany despite being heavy favorites, partly because their best player was injured before kickoff.

Cameroon's 1990 upset over Argentina remains the only time a team scored an own goal in a World Cup final match, shocking millions worldwide.