Soccer has generally been a sport known and dominated by its giants, with teams like Real Madrid and Manchester United enjoying very long periods of success. But now and then, an underdog story comes up that is so compelling that we cannot help but root for them. Soccer is about those moments that make fans go crazy, and extraordinary upset victories definitely provide that type of moment.
This list pays homage to victories that were not just surprising but also managed to define an entire era of the sport, proving that even the smallest teams are capable of producing magical moments.
Greece Shocked the World at Euro 2004
In 2004, the European Championships were held in Portugal, and this tournament was expected to be dominated by the big teams such as Spain and Germany. Greece came into the tournament as huge underdogs with odds of 150-1 for them to win. There was not a single expert or fan who was willing to pick Greece as the tournament winners, as Greece had never really achieved much in its soccer history. However, what came was a tactical masterclass; under coach Otto Rehhagel, Greece executed one of the most strategic and disciplined performances in soccer history.
By no means did Greece have an easy road to victory, either, as they defeated strong opposition such as France and the Czech Republic as they reached the final and faced the host nation, Portugal. The writing was on the wall for a Portugal victory, as it almost felt like they could not lose with the tournament being held in their country. Greece produced 90 minutes of magic as they defeated Portugal 1-0, with Angelos Charisteas scoring the all-important goal. Fast forward over 20 years, and Greece’s victory at the 2004 Euros remains as one of the most surprising and impressive underdog wins in soccer history.
Leicester City Wins the Premier League in 2015/16
The English Premier League was long considered to be a league that was dominated by the big teams such as Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea. Since the Premier League began in the 1990s, there have been very few compelling underdog stories that turned the league upside down. Until Leicester City wrote themselves into Premier League folklore in the 2015/16 season. Coming into the season, Leicester were one of the favorites to be relegated, as they had only just survived relegation in the previous season. Leicester were given odds of 5000-1 to win the league, and with Claudio Ranieri as manager, Leicester became the most unlikely league winners.
Leicester started the season very strongly with the likes of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, and Ngolo Kanté running the show. It was expected that Leicester’s run of good form would eventually come to an end, and they would go back to being the below-average side they were in the previous season. However, Leicester just kept on winning; each week, they defied expectations and held their nerve. They never looked phased by the pressure of winning the league, and after Tottenham drew with Chelsea, this result crowned Leicester as league champions. This feat is the greatest fairy tale story in Premier League history, and it will be a long time till something similar happens again.
Wigan Athletic Wins the 2013 FA Cup
The FA Cup is like most other cup competitions, as it provides an opportunity for underdogs to shine. Wigan Athletic’s 2013 triumph is living proof of this, as they defeated Manchester City to secure the biggest win in the club’s history. Coming into the tournament, Wigan were massive underdogs, and no one expected them to get anywhere near the final. Whereas Manchester City were coming off the back of a Premier League-winning season and were amongst the favorites to win the tournament.
The game was a tense and goalless affair for the majority of its duration, with neither team able to find an opening. In the 91st minute, Wigan were awarded a corner, and Ben Watson leaped in the air to score a header, sending Wigan fans into ecstasy. As the final whistle blew, the stadium erupted with pure joy as Wigan had won their first-ever major trophy. It was not all sunshine and rainbows for Wigan, as days later, they would be relegated from the Premier League, putting a bittersweet end to their season.
Zambia Wins the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations produced one of the most heartfelt stories in soccer history in 2012. In 1993, the Zambia national team was struck by tragedy as their plane crashed, which claimed the lives of almost their entire squad. Almost 20 years later, Zambia returned to Gabon, the nation where the crash occurred, in an effort to honor the last generation. The 2012 squad was made up of the best players that Zambia had to offer, but even some of those players were not full-time footballers, and they played as a side hustle.
Many believed that tournament favorites Ivory Coast would make easy work of every other team in the tournament. So, as Zambia reached the final and faced the Ivory Coast, no one really gave them a chance to win. However, Zambia showed grit and determination as they were able to hold Ivory Coast to a 0-0 draw for 120 minutes, as the game went to penalties. In one of the most dramatic shootouts in the tournament’s history, Zambia won 8-7 and produced one of the most emotional and inspiring underdog stories in soccer history.
