5 Incredibly Crazy Times Asian Teams Stirred Up Big Guys At Word Cup

The most prominent sporting event, the FIFA World Cup, is presently underway in Qatar. When it comes to football, people think about Europe or South America. Nonetheless, numerous Asian countries have stepped up over the years of this famous competition and done the impossible by beating the footballing superpowers. As time has progressed, Asian countries like South Korea and Japan have created a distinct and impressive brand of football.
Son is just one example of a player who has built a name for himself in the major European leagues. Let's look at the top five times Asian teams shocked a soccer powerhouse at the World Cup.

1. North Korea vs. Italy - World Cup 1966

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It was North Korea's first World Cup appearance, and they were immediately placed in a tough group with perennial tournament chokers Italy, Chile, and the Soviet Union. Everyone expected every squad to rapidly and easily dispatch North Korea. To everyone's astonishment, however, they not only won the game against Italy by a score of 1-0, but also became the first Asian team to advance to the next tournament round.

2. Italy vs. South Korea - World Cup 2002

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The Azzurris have experienced their fair share of World Cup upsets at the hands of Asian teams. They've lost to both North and South Korea in World Cup history. The recent setback happened in the Round 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
They were playing the South Korean home team, the Blues, for a position in the quarterfinals. The high-powered Italian squad fell short, 2-1 when Ahn Jung-hwan scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time. There was a lot of talk about the referee being biased toward the Korean team, and the game quickly became mired in controversy.

3. Germany vs. South Korea - World Cup 2018

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As the defending champions, Germany was placed in a group with Sweden, Mexico, and the host nation of South Korea. The Germans needed to beat South Korea to advance to the next round after losing the first game to Mexico and winning the second game to Sweden. However, their optimism was quickly dashed when they played South Korea and lost by 2-0.
Kim Young Gwon scored first for South Korea in the 90+2nd minute, and Son Heung Min scored the game-winning goal in the 90+6th minute. As a result of the goals scored in extra time, Germany was eliminated from the 2018 World Cup, crushing the hopes of its fans.

4. Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia - World Cup 2022

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Football lovers worldwide were taken aback by one of the recent disasters. The Albiceleste were the tournament favorites, but they've gotten off to a terrible start. As they entered this game, Argentina was on a 36-game winning streak and were favorites to extend it. However, Saudi Arabia proved to be a formidable opponent.
The Argentines suffered their first loss in 36 games at the hands of the Brazilians, who won 2-1. After Messi's penalty put Argentina ahead in the first half, they went on to completely control play. However, Saudi Arabia reemerged with renewed vigor after the break and scored twice as many minutes. The Albiceleste couldn't respond and ended up losing.

5. Japan vs. Germany - World Cup 2022

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Another European nation is to suffer a World Cup upset at the hands of Asian teams in Germany. The first group stage match at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar was another disaster as Japan shocked Germany 2-1. After years of improvement, the Japanese national football squad is among the best in Asia.
In contrast, Germany is widely regarded as one of the world's top footballing powers. However, Japan prevailed in a close game with Germany, winning by a 2-1. After Gundogan put the Germans up on a penalty kick in the 33rd minute, they would eventually lose the lead to goals in the 75th and 83rd minutes.