This is a list of the biggest win margins in FIFA World Cup History.
The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of international soccer. It’s a quadrennial tournament that captivates billions of fans worldwide.
So, naturally, teams are under intense pressure to perform at their highest.
But despite this, some teams slip up from time to time. While close matches are common in the World Cup, there have been some astonishingly one-sided results.
In this post, we’ll take a look at those one-sided matches and explore the biggest win margins in World Cup history.
So, let’s get started!
Also, check out Highest Scoring FIFA World Cup Games Ever.
The Biggest Win in World Cup History
There are three matches with the biggest win margin in World Cup history. All of these matches ended in a 9-goal difference between the winning and losing team.
Let’s take a look.
Hungary 9-0 South Korea (1954)
Hungary showed why they were called the ‘Golden Team‘ with a resounding 9-0 victory over South Korea.
The game showed the stark difference in skill and experience between the two sides.
Hungary had legendary players like Sándor Kocsis and Ferenc Puskás. They dominated the whole game, scoring four goals in the first half and five more in the second.
Surprisingly, Hungary didn’t go on to win the tournament. They lost to West Germany in the final.
Yugoslavia 9 – 0 Zaire (1974)
In the 1974 World Cup, Yugoslavia dominated Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) with a resounding 9-0 victory.
This was also a very 1-sided game with Yugoslavia dominating for the whole 90 minutes.
Yugoslavia’s Dusan Bajevic was the star of the match as he scored a hat-trick.
Hungary 10-1 El Salvador (1982)
Hungary rekindled their memories of their ‘Golden Team‘ in the 1982 World Cup with a 10-1 victory over El Salvador.
Hungary’s László Kiss stole the show by scoring three goals in seven minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Internal strife and a disrupted preparation had already weakened El Salvador. Thus, they were no match for the Hungarians’ superior firepower.
Hungary’s ten goals is also the record for the most goals scored by a single team in a World Cup match.
Top 11 Biggest Wins at the FIFA World Cup
Now, let’s look at the 11 biggest win margins at the World Cup.
| Scoreline | Margin | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Yugoslavia 9-0 Zaire | 9 goals | 1974 |
| Hungary 9-0 South Korea | 9 goals | 1954 |
| Hungary 10-1 El Salvador | 9 goals | 1982 |
| Sweden 8-0 Cuba | 8 goals | 1934 |
| Uruguay 8-0 Bolivia | 8 goals | 1950 |
| Germany 8-0 Saudi Arabia | 8 goals | 2002 |
| Poland 7-0 Haiti | 7 goals | 1974 |
| Uruguay 7-0 Scotland | 7 goals | 1954 |
| Turkey 7-0 South Korea | 7 goals | 1954 |
| Portugal 7-0 North Korea | 7 goals | 2010 |
| Spain 7-0 Costa Rica | 7 goals | 2022 |
Biggest Win in a World Cup Final
Three teams have won the World Cup final with a margin of three goals.
- Brazil 5-2 Sweden: World Cup 1958
- Brazil 4-1 Italy: World Cup 1970
- France 3-0 Brazil: World Cup 1998
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Read more about the FIFA World Cup:
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- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Award Winners
- Who Has the Most Goals in FIFA World Cup? (All-time Top Goal Scorers)
- FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Winners: Top Scorers in Every Tournament
- Countries With The Most FIFA World Cup Wins
- Complete FIFA World Cup Winners List: Every Winner Since 1930
- FIFA World Cup Logo History: Every World Cup Logo Since 1930
- Players With The Most FIFA World Cup Appearances
- The Youngest Players in FIFA World Cup History
- Oldest Players To Play in The FIFA World Cup
