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World Cup 2022: Five of the biggest shock results the tournament has ever seen

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argentina-and-saudi-arabia-football-players.Image source, Getty Images
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Saudi Arabia beat Argentina which was an expected result

Saudi Arabia have beaten Argentina in their first World Cup 2022 match, producing what is likely to go down as one of the most shocking results of the tournament ever.

The team were one down in the first half of the match after football star Lionel Messi scored a penalty for his side in the first 10 minutes of the game.

The South American team then had a further three goals ruled out for offside, demonstrating the two-time World Cup winners' attempts to dominate the game.

However, Saudi Arabia managed to turn things around in the second half of the match, with goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al Dawsari putting the team ahead of their opponents who had come into the tournament as one of the favourites to secure the title.

Image source, Reuters

Saudi Arabia's match win is only their fourth in World Cup history, and could position them as strong contenders within their group.

They'll now face Poland on Saturday, while Argentina takes on Mexico.

Saudi Arabia's triumph over Argentina isn't the only unexpected results the World Cup has seen. Here are four more shockers from the World Cup over the years.

1. Brazil v Germany, 2014

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Germany went on to win the World Cup in 2014

Brazil saw one of their biggest defeats ever at the hands of Germany at the 2014 World Cup, after they lost 7-1.

The South American team, who were the hosts of the tournament and also one of the favourites to win, were well and truly thrashed, with Germany up 5-0 in just the first 29 minutes of the semi-final match.

The final result meant the match was Brazil's first competitive home defeat in a whopping 39 years, and it ended the team's hopes of making it to the World Cup final on home soil.

Germany went on to win the World Cup that year, securing their fourth title.

2. France v Senegal, 2002

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Senegal beat France at their first World Cup appearance

West African team Senegal caused a lot of uproar during the opening match of the World Cup tournament back in 2002 after beating the defending champions France 1-0.

France had secured the win just four years earlier, and appeared to be in a strong position.

However, Senegal, who made their very first appearance at the World Cup in 2002, managed to win with a goal from player Papa Bouba Diop in the 30th minute.

Senegal ended up making history after advancing to the top 16, however, they lost out to Turkey in the quarter-final.

3. South Korea v Italy, 2002

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South Korea's Ahn Jung-hwan celebrates after scoring the golden goal during the 2002 World Cup

There were even more shocking results at the 2002 competition, with the tournament's co-hosts beating Italy 2-1 after they'd reached the final 16.

Italy's team had a number of star players at the time, but they were unable to secure the win, causing them to miss out on the quarter-final.

South Korea went on to continue their winning streak, knocking Spain out in the quarter-final, but they ultimately lost out to Germany in the semi-final, finishing fourth overall in the tournament.

4. England v USA, 1950

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The captains of England and USA exchange souvenirs at the start of their World Cup match which saw the American team win 1-0, a result that shocked the world

Although England's World Cup debut wasn't until 1950, a lot was expected of them as the inventors of the sport and they were confident going in.

Meanwhile, the USA wasn't really known for football at the time and the sport hadn't taken off in the country.

England were favourites to win the title, while their opponents' team was largely made up of amateurs including a hearse driver, a dish washer and even a mail man!

However, the Americans ended up beating England 1-0, a result that shocked the world. Both teams ultimately failed to advance to the next round of the competition.