1. June 15, 1982: Hungary-El Salvador 10-1
The Hungarians took advantage of El Salvador’s defensive generosity to become the first team to score ten goals in a World Cup. In this team match in Elche, Spain, Laszlo Case remarkably scored a hat-trick in seven minutes (70, 73, 77). On the El Salvadorian side, Luis Ramírez Zapata remains to this day the only player from his country to have scored a World Cup goal.
Nilasi and the Hungarians have fun against El Salvador at the World Cup in Spain in 1982. (Staedele / DPA Picture-Alliance / AFP)
2. June 17, 1954: Hungary 9-0 South Korea
Hungary, favorites to compete, crushes South Korea in the group stage. The inevitable Ferenc Puskas scores two goals. On the heels of the fast pioneer, the Hungarians reached the final. In Bern, Germany, however, defeated by the same opponent (3-8) a few days ago, surprised everyone (3-2) and inflicted Hungary its first defeat since 1950.
Jules Rimet, World Cup initiator, saluting Ferenc Puskas, 1954 (L’Equipe)
3. June 18, 1974: Yugoslavia – Zaire 9-0
Against the background of disputes over bonuses not paid by General Mobutu’s regime, Yugoslavia made fun of Zaire. After twenty minutes of play, with the score at 3-0, the African team saw their honorary goalkeeper give up his spot. Yugoslav coach Blagoj Videnic is convinced his player wants to show his dissatisfaction in this way. The rest is just one long ordeal.
4. June 1, 2002: Germany – Saudi Arabia 8-0
In their first match in the competition, Germany’s Rudi Völler is enjoying a match against Saudi Arabia. Miroslav Klose scores a hat-trick. He will later become the top scorer in history in the final stages (16 goals). Germany reached the final, losing to Brazil’s Ronaldo (0-2).
5. June 12, 1938: Sweden 8-0 Cuba
Team of Steel: That’s it SentencesLoans the teamOn his front page, he recounts the great success that Sweden achieved in Antibes against Cuba (8-0). Four goals were scored by the Swedes in each period. Their trip will end in the semi-finals against Hungary (1-5).
Front page of L’Auto dated June 13, 1938.
6. July 2, 1950: Uruguay 8-0 Bolivia
Carried by a quintet of Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Uruguay, who had only one qualifying match to play in the final tournament (a four-team group), thrashed Bolivia. La Celeste also took advantage of Caparelli’s injury, letting the Bolivians play at almost 10 for the entire second period (they cannot be replaced). After a draw with Spain (2-2) and a victory over Sweden (3-2), Uruguay defeated the host of the competition, Brazil (2-1), in what was not a final, but a decisive match for the tournament. His second World Cup title
8. June 19, 1974: Haiti 0-7 Poland
Facing Haitian Cinderella, Poland won their second match of the first group stage in Munich. A hat-trick from striker Andrzej Szarmach in particular allows him to qualify for the rest of the competition, another group of four. She finished second behind FRG, who won the World Cup by dominating Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands. In the match for third place, Poland led Brazil (1-0) and thus recorded the best result in its history at the World Cup.
9. June 21, 2010: Portugal 7-0 North Korea
It sounds incredible, but with this group stage win against North Korea, Cristiano Ronaldo will end a two-year drought in official matches by choice. The Real Madrid forward scores the sixth goal for Selecao managed by Carlos Queiroz. And the Spanish neighbor, the future winner of the Portuguese tournament, ends in the round of 16 (1-0).
Cristiano Ronaldo was a bit lucky, scoring Portugal’s sixth goal in a massive (7-0) win over South Korea in 2010. (Mark Lech/Offside/Press Sports)
10. July 8, 2014: Brazil-Germany 1-7
Brazil already knew the trauma that prevented them from winning at home (against Uruguay, in 1950). Sixty-four years later, it is Germany that makes fun of the Seleçao, deprived of Neymar. Mueller, Klose, Khedira, Kroos and Schurrl (the latter two) enjoy penetrating the back of the team led by Luiz Felipe Scolari. They will lift the trophy in a few days at the expense of Argentina (1-0).
