BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL - JULY 08: David Luiz of Brazil reacts after being defeated 7-1 by Germany as Mesut Oezil of Germany looks on during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between Brazil and Germany at Estadio Mineirao on July 8, 201 …
NEW YORK - When fans think of major recent World Cup blowouts, Germany’s 7-1 demolition of Brazil in 2014 may be the first match that comes to mind.
It had everything: a soccer giant, a stunned home crowd, a World Cup semifinal and one of the most surreal scorelines in modern tournament history.
But the biggest defeat in World Cup history came decades earlier.
WATCH: Biggest blowouts in World Cup history explainer video
What we know:
The largest margin of victory in World Cup history is nine goals.
That mark has been reached three times, led by Hungary’s 10-1 win over El Salvador at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
Hungary remains the only team to score 10 goals in a single men’s World Cup match. The 10-1 win also tied the tournament record for largest margin of victory at nine goals.
The other nine-goal blowouts were Hungary’s 9-0 win over South Korea in 1954 and Yugoslavia’s 9-0 win over Zaire in 1974.
Putting a nill behind the one on the scoreboard - the final score: Hungary wins this 1982 FIFA World Cup group match 10:1 against world cup debutant El Salvador on June 15th 1982 in Elche, Spain - the highest score of all world cups. (Photo by Karl S …
Biggest blowouts in World Cup history
No. 10: Portugal 7, North Korea 0
2010 World Cup
Margin: 7 goals
No. 9: Poland 7, Haiti 0
1974 World Cup
Margin: 7 goals
No. 8: Turkey 7, South Korea 0
1954 World Cup
Margin: 7 goals
No. 7: Uruguay 7, Scotland 0
1954 World Cup
Margin: 7 goals
No. 6: Germany 8, Saudi Arabia 0
2002 World Cup
Margin: 8 goals
No. 5: Uruguay 8, Bolivia 0
1950 World Cup
Margin: 8 goals
No. 4: Sweden 8, Cuba 0
1938 World Cup
Margin: 8 goals
No. 3: Yugoslavia 9, Zaire 0
1974 World Cup
Margin: 9 goals
No. 2: Hungary 9, South Korea 0
1954 World Cup
Margin: 9 goals
No. 1: Hungary 10, El Salvador 1
1982 World Cup
Margin: 9 goals
The Brazil-Germany match
Germany’s 7-1 win over Brazil in 2014 remains one of the most memorable World Cup blowouts, even though it sits behind the largest margins in tournament history.
Part of what made the result so shocking was the stage.
Brazil was playing at home in a World Cup semifinal. Germany scored five goals in the first half, including four in a span of minutes that left the host nation stunned.
The six-goal margin matched several other major World Cup defeats, but the setting made it feel larger than the scoreline alone.
SAPPORO, JAPAN - JUNE 01: WM 2002 in JAPAN und KOREA, Sapporo; GRUPPE E/DEUTSCHLAND - SAUDI ARABIEN (GER - KSA) 8:0; JUBEL Miroslav KLOSE/GER dreifacher Torschuetze (Photo by Gunnar Berning/Bongarts/Getty Images)
The backstory:
Hungary’s 10-1 win over El Salvador stands apart because of both the margin and the total number of goals.
The match was played on June 15, 1982, in Elche, Spain. Hungary won by nine goals, while El Salvador’s lone goal kept the final margin from reaching double digits.
László Kiss scored a second-half hat trick for Hungary after coming on as a substitute, becoming the only substitute to score a hat trick in World Cup history.
Despite the historic win, Hungary did not advance out of its group.
Why it matters
World Cup blowouts are remembered for different reasons.
Some stand out because of the numbers. Others stand out because of the stage, the teams involved or the shock of seeing a powerhouse overwhelmed.
Hungary’s 10-1 win over El Salvador remains the statistical benchmark. Germany’s 7-1 win over Brazil remains the modern reference point.
Together, they show how one-sided World Cup matches can become part of the tournament’s history long after the final whistle.
The Source: This article was written using information from ESPN, Opta Analyst and historical World Cup match records.