5 most undeserved major tournament victories of all time

Nnanna
Greeks Salute The Return Of Their Victorious Football Team
Greeks Salute The Return Of Their Victorious Football Team

#3 Greece | EURO 2004

Greeks Salute The Return Of Their Victorious Football Team
Greeks Salute The Return Of Their Victorious Football Team

It seemed unlikely that Greece would become European champions at any point in recent history. In 2004, however, Piratiko managed to make their way through to the finals and cause a major upset.

The side played Portugal, Spain and Russia in the group stage, managing to beat A Seleção and snatch a draw against La Roja. They faced France in the quarter-finals, staging a surprise 1-0 win, and then beat Czech Republic in the semi-finals with a silver goal in extra time.

Many assumed that Greece would struggle to hold off the Portuguese. Luiz Felipe Scolari's side were also looking for vengeance, especially after Greece had managed a win against them in the group stages.

However, a dull game ensued, and Portugal were unable to bypass a rock-solid Greek defense. Piratiko eventually found the only goal of the game thanks to a perfect header from Angelos Charisteas following a corner in the 57th minute. Portugal's attempts to equalize were futile and the Greek side saw the match out with a shocking 1-0 win.


#2 Denmark | EURO 1992

UEFA Euro '92 FINAL - Denmark v Germany
UEFA Euro '92 FINAL - Denmark v Germany

The most notable fact about Denmark's trophy win at EURO 1992 was that they didn't even qualify for the tournament. Yugoslavia, who had qualified, ended up withdrawing from the competition and lost their spot to the Danes.

In the group stages, Denmark held England to a draw, lost to rivals Sweden, and enjoyed a brilliant 2-1 win against France.

These results guided them into the semi-finals where they faced a tough Netherlands outfit. Although the Netherlands bossed much of the game, which went into extra-time, Denmark held onto a 2-2 draw until penalties where they eventually won.

Peter Schmeichel performed brilliantly in the final against Germany, keeping a clean sheet. The Danes took their chances clinically to see off Die Mannschaft with two goals.


#1 Argentina | World Cup 1978

Gonella, the referee of Italy looks at his watch as an Argentinan player lies injured on the ground
Gonella, the referee of Italy looks at his watch as an Argentinan player lies injured on the ground

Many pundits agree that Argentina's title win at the 1978 World Cup was a farce more than anything else. The country happened to be under an authoritarian military junta government who tried to promote propaganda through the World Cup being held in Argentina. The country's domestic politics brought about serious interference and match-fixing which allegedly enabled Argentina's eventual win.

The Argentine side played all their group games at night, after other teams in the group had finished their matches. Favoritism from the referees and controversial decisions raised questions about how much pressure the dictatorship government had placed on FIFA.

Lajos Baroti, Hungary's head coach, notably said:

"Everything, even the air, is in favor of Argentina."

It was no surprise when La Albiceleste powered their way through to the finals and eventually won the World Cup.

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