“Never underestimate your opponent,” at least the quote says so. Some people believe that every saying has a deep meaning. But as time went by, I realised that the one I used here was a lot more meaningful.
Of course, football underdogs showed us the true meaning of this proverb. But what are the biggest underdog wins in football? Counting both single games and tournaments, I am happy to show what it means to have confidence and never give up, hence the following examples.
Leicester’s Premier League Title (2015/16)
Chelsea won the Premier League title in 2014/15. This club continued to perform well in the following season. On the other hand, Leicester began this season with great success.
This team had a big winning streak, with James Vardy breaking Van Nistelrooy’s goal record. In the last round, Leicester hoped Chelsea would win or tie the match against Tottenham. This eventually happened, as Hazard scored an equaliser in the final moments of the game, letting the Foxes win this league.
Greece’s Euro 2004 Trophy Lifting
No one really thought that the Greeks could win the Euro 2024. This team did have some great players, but compared to all the other favourites, the Blues and Whites were underdogs.
The Greeks got past the group stage by triumphing over teams like Portugal and Russia by 2:1. The Blues and Whites tied an encounter with Spain (1:1) and faced France in the quarterfinals.
They accomplished an unbelievable feat, beating France by 1:0. The Greeks did the same in the semi-finals and finals, defeating the Czech Republic and Portugal, respectively.
Wigan vs Manchester City (FA Cup 2013)
One of the biggest underdogs in football in season 2012/13, Wigan, managed to win the FA Cup trophy and get relegated from the Premier League. But their road to the title was insane.
It all culminated when the Latics faced City in the finals. Man City had a much stronger squad and a bigger budget than Wigan. But the Latics conceded no goals and scored once near the end of the game to win this game.
Senegal vs France (World Cup 2002)
It’s not only the club’s budget that determines Football Underdogs. Sometimes, even some national teams can be much stronger than others. It happened in the World Cup 2002 when Senegal faced an overpowered France.
Henry, Zidane, Viera, Thuram, Bartez, the list of French superstars could go on. Not so strong, the Senegalese had Papa Bouba Diop score for them. This was a group phase match but still remains one of the biggest underdog wins in football.
Cameroon vs Argentina (World Cup 1990)
Led by their captain and one of the best players ever, Maradona, Argentina was one of the main trophy contenders in the World Cup 1990. In the group phase, La Albiceleste drew Cameroon.The Africans were, of course, major football underdogs in this duel. But the Argentinians had a somewhat wayward start, which Francois Omam-Biyick took advantage of and scored a header for Cameroon, which later turned into a win for the Indomitable Lions.
