The World Cup is the biggest stage in football, so there’s perhaps not much more embarrassing than being thrashed in front of the world.Â
Here are the biggest wins in World Cup history
Sweden 8–0 Cuba – 12 June 1938
Sweden finished fourth at the 1938 World Cup, with an eight-goal mauling of Cuba part of their path to the semi-finals. Cuba had beaten Romania in a replay to reach the quarter-finals, but were stunned as the Swedes scored eight without reply.
Gustav Wetterström and Harry Andersson both scored hat-tricks, the only time in World Cup history that there have been two teammates to score trebles in the same game.
Uruguay 8–0 Bolivia – 2 July 1950
Uruguay battered Bolivia on their way to winning their second World Cup in 1950. After France withdrew from the tournament, the South American nations were paired in a two-team group that proved to be an almighty mismatch.
Óscar MÃguez scored a hat-trick for the Uruguayans, with Juan Alberto Schiaffino also on target twice. The latter was on target again as Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1 in the final, ending the host’s hopes of a maiden World Cup, and securing a second success for La Albiceleste.
Germany 8–0 Saudi Arabia – 1 June 2002
The only match on this list to have been played in the 21st century, Germany made light work of Saudi Arabia during the 2002 group stages.
Miroslav Klose scored a hat-trick of headers in this eight-goal embarrassment, a remarkable World Cup debut for the German goalscorer, who ended his career as the tournament’s record scorer. Klose became only the second player to score three headers in a single game, after Tomas Skuhravy achieved the feat for Czechoslovakia against Costa Rica in 1990.
Noughties Nines: Miroslav Klose -World Cup icon
Hungary 9–0 South Korea – 17 June 1954
Hungary are responsible for two of the three joint-biggest ever World Cup wins. The Hungarians’ legendary Mighty Magyars side tore apart South Korea at the 1954 finals, with the iconic Ferenc Puskás scoring twice, and Sándor Kocsis scoring a hat-trick. Kocsis then scored four times as Hungary hit eight past West Germany in their second group game.
Remarkably, Hungary lost the final to the same opponents, as West Germany recovered from two down to win 3-2 and claim a first world crown, in a decider dubbed ‘The Miracle of Bern’.
Yugoslavia 9–0 Zaire – 18 June 1974
First-time qualifiers Zaire found themselves on the wrong end of a nine-goal rout in 1974. Yugoslavia went goal-mad against the African debutants, scoring six times before half-time.
Zaire were under the management of ex-Yugoslav international Blagoje Vidinić, who ruthlessly substituted his goalkeeper after conceding three goals in the opening 18 minutes. The replacement, the diminutive Dimbi Tubilandu, could do little to improve the fortunes.
The big win was crucial to Yugoslavia’s progress, with Brazil, Scotland, and Yugoslavia all drawing their games against each other, with progress decided by their respective goal differences from beating Zaire.
Hungary 10–1 El Salvador – 15 June 1982
Hungary are the only team to have ever scored 10 goals in a World Cup in 1982. László Kiss took home the match ball in a ten-goal trouncing against a shell-shocked El Salvador. Despite that win, Hungary crashed out in the group after failing to beat Belgium and Argentina in their other fixtures.
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See more –Â FIFA World Cup: The top goalscorers in World Cup history
