France 0-1 Senegal (2002)
All but two members of Senegal’s 23-man squad for the 2002 World Cup played their club football in France, but little was expected of the World Cup debutants in this curtain-raiser. Les Bleus, after all, had won the previous edition in 1998 as well as the European Championship two years later, and their starting XI in Seoul included Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira and Marcel Desailly.
Even when Senegal opened the scoring through Papa Bouba Diop on the half-hour mark, France were expected to win. Yet the Lions of Teranga stood strong to hold on for the most famous result in their history.
Argentina 0-1 Belgium (1982)
After four consecutive scoreless stalemates in the opening games of the 1966, 1970, 1974 and 1978 World Cups, a single goal was hugely welcome when holders Argentina locked horns with Belgium at the Camp Nou.
The Albiceleste had defeated the Netherlands in the final to win the tournament on home soil four years earlier, but their title defence began badly as Erwin Vandenbergh’s goal delivered a shock on day one. Both sides advanced to the second group stage but finished bottom of their respective sections.
South Africa 1-1 Mexico (2010)
South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup was a historic moment for the country and the continent, and Bafana Bafana got off to a dream start at the newly renovated Soccer City. After a goalless first half, Siphiwe Tshabalala latched on to a through-ball in the 55th minute and fired an unerring finish into the top corner to give the hosts the lead.
Mexico fought back to level through Rafael Marquez with 11 minutes left to play, salvaging a draw which would later prove pivotal: El Tri progressed to the last 16 ahead of South Africa on goal difference.
Brazil 4-0 Mexico (1950)
By the time of Brazil’s final game at the 1950 World Cup, a winner-takes-all decider against Uruguay, the nation’s public were convinced the Selecao would lift the Jules Rimet trophy for the first time. On the morning of that match, the newspaper O Mondo even printed commemorative editions with a picture of the hosts’ team printed underneath a headline which read: “These are the world champions”.
Their 2-1 loss to Uruguay remains one of the most famous games the World Cup has seen, but Brazil’s campaign began brilliantly with a 4-0 thrashing of Mexico. Ademir scored twice and Jair and Baltazar also found the net as El Tri were brushed aside at the Maracana.
Argentina 0-1 Cameroon (1990)
Cameroon became the first African nation to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1990, with England eventually knocking them out after extra time in the last eight. The Indomitable Lions also delivered one of the biggest shocks of all time in the opening game, beating defending champions Argentina by a goal to nil in Milan.
The Argentines were unhappy with their opponents’ physical approach to the match, and there were certainly times when Cameroon overstepped the mark. Yet despite ending the game with only nine men, the Winfried Schafer’s charges overcame Diego Maradona and co. thanks to François Omam-Biyik’s header.
