The FIFA World Cup is a tournament that makes the planet stand still, and the next edition of the showpiece is just around the corner. Next summer, 48 of the planet’s finest will head to North America to battle it out to lift the famous gold trophy at MetLife Stadium.
Next year’s World Cup will be the biggest in history, with the number of teams competing increased by 16, resulting in almost double the matches. But even so, it’s still the usual suspects that online betting sites like Bovada make the frontrunners for glory. If you check out the Bovada site, you’ll see the reigning European Champions Spain are the +600 favorites to claim their second world title, 16 years on from their maiden success in South Africa. They are joined at the top of the betting charts by back-to-back finalists France and reigning champions Argentina.
But while it’s the big boys that usually end up with the trophy, every four years, there is always an underdog that takes the fight to their more illustrious rivals.
Morocco
One of the long-standing hoodoos at the FIFA World Cup was that no African nation had ever made it to the semifinals. That all changed in 2022 as Morocco roared their way to the final four.
The Atlas Lions had a squad stacked with talent. The likes of Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi, and Youssef En-Nesyri were all proven match winners, but after being drawn into a difficult group alongside European powers Belgium and Croatia, not many expected them to progress out of the group stage. However, with a raucous traveling fan base at their back, Morocco took Qatar by storm.
A goalless draw in the opening game against the Croats provided a platform to build upon, but it was the second game against Belgium that proved the Moroccans meant business. Despite the Red Devils being heavily favored to not just win, but also top the group, the Atlas Lions netted twice in the final 17 minutes to secure a stunning 2-0 win. A 2-1 victory against Canada in their final group game secured Morocco’s top spot in the group, setting up a difficult Round of 16 clash against Spain.
Once again, Morocco was the underdog, but once again, they wouldn’t be intimidated. They managed to cling on to a goalless draw to take the contest to a penalty shootout, allowing goalkeeper Yassine Bonou to become the hero. He saved all three Spanish penalties to send his teams through to the quarterfinals and another difficult test, this time against Portugal. Despite Cristiano Ronaldo attempting to make history by winning the tournament for the first time ever, it was Morocco who progressed with En-Nesyri’s towering header securing a 1-0 victory.
That made Morocco the first African semifinalist in history. But unfortunately, that was as good as it got. The Atlas Lions were beaten 2-0 by France in the final four, despite a spirited display, and that brought the curtain down on a tournament no Moroccan will ever forget.
Croatia
Much like Morocco, Croatia also shone in Qatar, reaching the semifinals and defeating tournament favorites Brazil along the way. But it was four years prior in Russia where the Croatians truly took the world by storm.
Back in 2018, they won all three group games – including a thumping 3-0 win against Lionel Messi’s Argentina – to top a difficult-looking group. Then, the draw opened up, and an underdog was going to make it to the Moscow final. That outsider ended up being Croatia.
They won back-to-back penalty shootouts to eliminate both Denmark and hosts Russia. That set up a semifinal with a reborn England, and Three Lions supporters dreaming that football might finally be coming home. The Croatians had other ideas. Despite Croatia having to play out a third consecutive extra time period, it was England who looked tired rather than them, and they were duly rewarded for their energy thanks to Mario Mandzukic’s 116th-minute winner.
That sent Croatia to the final for the first time ever, but unfortunately, it was one step too far. A Kylian-Mbappe-inspired France emerged as a 4-2 victor, breaking Croatian hearts after an incredible summer showing.
Uruguay
No one mastered the controversial Jabulani ball in 2010 quite like Uruguay, specifically Diego Forlan. While everyone was floundering, getting to grips with the movement of the ball, the then-Atletico Madrid man seemingly had it under his spell. He rifled home four goals throughout the course of the South African showdown, winning the player of the tournament award and sending his side to the semifinals in the process.
But the former Manchester United man wasn’t alone in his endeavor. He formed one-third of a fearsome strike force alongside Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, while Diego Godin at the back proved to be an absolute rock. The Uruguayanms topped their group undefeated, drawing with heavyweights France but beating Mexico and hosts South Africa.
Suarez’s late winner against South Korea in the driving rain in Port Elizabeth sent Uruguay to the quarterfinals, where the future Barcelona man would take center stage once more. He controversially handled Asamoah Gyan’s goal-bound header in the dying embers of extra time against Ghana and received a straight red card for his troubles. Gyan would then hit the crossbar with the resulting penalty before the Black Stars lost the penalty shootout.
Suarez became public enemy number one, but his countrymen didn’t care one bit. However, without one of their three striking talismans, they couldn’t make it past the resolute Netherlands in the semifinals, losing 3-2 in an absolute thriller.
