World Cup Opening Ceremony Clashes Ranked: The Shocks That Shook the Tournament

As Mexico and South Africa prepare to launch the 23rd World Cup finals in Mexico City on Thursday, we cast our minds back over three decades of tournament openers. Here's how the nine opening fixtures since Italia 90 stack up…

9. Germany 1-0 Bolivia (1994)

Utterly forgettable. Genuinely, we'd wiped this one from memory entirely. Jürgen Klinsmann's tap-in after Bolivia's keeper slipped 30 yards from his goal was hardly riveting stuff, even if it had unfolded in Chicago's finest theatre. Though nothing could have competed with Diana Ross's missed penalty from the opening ceremony anyway.

8. Qatar 0-2 Ecuador (2022)

The hosts' ignominious exit made for delicious schadenfreude. Ecuador might have had three, had Enner Valencia's early header not been ruled out for offside by VAR. But they made their point through Valencia's penalty and a second header before the interval, while Qatar—despite six months in camp—couldn't muster a single shot on target. Empty seats told their own story in the second half.

7. Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia (2018)

Putin's pre-match words apparently worked wonders. Stanislav Cherchesov's men, winless in seven games beforehand and ranked three places below their opponents, dismantled Saudi Arabia in front of 78,000 in Moscow. The Saudis looked desperately underprepared and fractious from the whistle. Two goals in stoppage time meant this became the biggest host-nation opening-game demolition since 1934.

6. South Africa 1-1 Mexico (2010)

Johannesburg erupted when Siphiwe Tshabalala fired the hosts ahead—a goal that seemed to come against the grain of play. South Africa were within touching distance of a famous victory until Rafael Márquez levelled 12 minutes from time, sparing the world from an extended vuvuzela symphony.

5. Brazil 2-1 Scotland (1998)

Scotland matched Brazil—Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Bebeto, Roberto Carlos and all—until John Collins' penalty equalised Cesar Sampaio's opener. Then came one of football's luckiest moments: Cafu's shot bounced off Jim Leighton's hands, cannoned off Tom Boyd's chest and rolled over the line. The Brazilian's celebratory somersault deserved at least a yellow card for sheer audacity. Brazil would reach Paris for the final, where they'd lose to—France.

4. Brazil 3-1 Croatia (2014)

An own-goal from Marcelo set the tone for Brazil's troubled home tournament. Neymar's leveller was classy; his second-half penalty, decidedly less so—dubious in the extreme, and the Croatian keeper should have kept it out regardless. Oscar's late 20-yarder added gloss, but the hosts looked decidedly vulnerable.

3. Germany 4-2 Costa Rica (2006)

The highest-scoring opener ever, and the first to feature the hosts rather than the defending champions. Miroslav Klose's brace and thunderbolt strikes from Philip Lahm and Torsten Frings set Munich alight, though Paulo Wanchope's double exposed some alarmingly static defending. Frings' effort remains among the finest opening-game goals ever struck.

2. France 0-1 Senegal (2002)

One of two monumental upsets here. The 1998 champions were outplayed by The Wardrobe, Papa Bouba Diop settling it with a second-half goal. It got worse: a squad containing Zidane, Henry, Djorkaeff, Dugarry and Trezeguet finished bottom of their group, leaving Japan and South Korea without scoring a single goal.

1. Argentina 0-1 Cameroon (1990)

Not merely the most iconic opener—arguably the greatest World Cup upset ever. Diego Maradona's holders were beaten by Cameroon at the San Siro, who finished with nine men yet deserved their victory entirely.

François Omam-Biyik's towering header midway through the second half left goalkeeper Nery Pumpido seemingly allergic to the ball. Benjamin Massing's late red card capped a brutal but honourable display. Cameroon didn't simply kick Argentina around; they suffocated Maradona, took the game to the holders and stamped themselves on World Cup folklore forever.