DESPITE FOUR SUCCESSIVE WINLESS GROUP-STAGE EXITS BETWEEN 1986 AND 1998, CONFIDENCE AMONGST HOSTS SOUTH KOREA HINTED AT A SHOCK IN THE 2002 TOURNAMENT THE HOST NATION STAYED IN THE GAME, AS ITALY STRUGGLED TO BUILD ON THEIR 1-0 LEAD, BEFORE SEOL KI-HYEON’S EQUALISER FORCED EXTRA TIME AND AHN JUNG-HWAN’S GOLDEN GOAL WON IT
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS ARGENTINA ARRIVED AT ITALIA ’90 LOOKING TO WIN A THIRD TITLE IN 12 YEARS AND BECOME ONLY THE THIRD SIDE TO DEFEND THE WORLD CUP. LED BY DIEGO MARADONA, LA ALBICELESTE EVENTUALLY LOST OUT TO WEST GERMANY IN THE FINAL, BUT THEY WERE DEALT A MAJOR SHOCK IN THEIR OPENING FIXTURE.
ARGENTINA WERE FANCIED FOR THE TITLE BY MANY WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN QATAR AS COPA AMERICA WINNERS UNDER THE CAPTAINCY OF SEVEN-TIME BALLON D’OR WINNER LIONEL MESSI. THERE WERE FEW SIGNS OF DANGER UNTIL SALEH AL-SHEHRI SLOTTED IN WITH 48 MINUTES GONE. FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE SHOCK WAS ON WHEN SALEM AL-DAWSARI’S STUNNING STRIKE SENT THE GREEN SHIRTS IN THE CROWD INTO DELIRIUM.
SENEGAL, PLAYING IN ITS FIRST EVER WORLD CUP, DEFEATED THE OVERCONFIDENT FRENCH SQUAD IN THE TOURNAMENT OPENER. FRANCE HAD WON THE PREVIOUS WORLD CUP. SENEGAL TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF FRANCE’S STAGE FRIGHT. TO ANNOUNCE THEMSELVES ON THE WORLD CUP STAGE, THROUGH PAPA BOUBA DIOP’S ICONIC WINNER.
THE UNITED STATES HAD LOST SEVEN STRAIGHT INTERNATIONAL MATCHES BY A COMBINED SCORE OF 45-2 COMING INTO THIS ONE, SO YOU CAN EASILY SEE WHY THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED THE UNDERDOGS. JOE GAETJENS’ GOAL SEALED A 1-0 WIN FOR THE US, BUT THE NARRATIVE OF THE GAME