5 matches involving Asian national teams that went down in the history of the premier football tournament
International brand 1xBet tells the story of five matches that had the entire football world talking about Asian teams.
Germany vs Japan 1-2, 2022
At the 2022 competition, Japan were drawn in one of the toughest groups: Germany, Spain and Costa Rica. In such a company, the team were seen more as inconvenient opponents for the big names than as serious contenders for the knockout stage.
But their very first match against Germany showed that Hajime Moriyasu’s side had no intention of playing a supporting role. After conceding in the first half, the Japanese withstood the pressure and, after the break, stepped up the pace significantly thanks to some clever substitutions. First, Ritsu Dōan, who had come off the bench, equalized, and then Takuma Asano, who had also come on as a substitute, scored the winning goal.
The Samurai Blue repeated this scenario in their clash with Spain: they conceded first again, but fought back after the break to win 2-1. The Japanese won their group with two European giants, and in the round of 16, lost to Croatia only on penalties. After such a performance, it became clear that Asian national teams are capable of competing on equal terms with the tournament’s main favorites.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia 1-2, 2022
The 2022 tournament was marked by yet another major upset involving an Asian national team. In the group stage, Saudi Arabia faced Argentina, and the outcome seemed a foregone conclusion: Hervé Renard’s side were clear underdogs, and very few believed they could succeed.
The battle against the eventual champions got off to a poor start for the Green Falcons, with Messi scoring from the penalty spot early on. In the first half, La Albiceleste scored three more times, but all the goals were ruled out for offside.
Saudi Arabia might have conceded a few goals before half-time, but the second half turned everything around. First, Saleh Al-Shehri equalized, and then Salem Al-Dawsari struck a beautiful shot into the top corner to secure a historic 2-1 victory for his country.
The day after the match was declared a public holiday in Saudi Arabia, and the result itself served as yet another reminder that Asian national teams are capable of springing surprises at major tournaments.
South Korea vs Italy 2-1, 2002
1xBet review cannot fail to mention the 2002 tournament. 36 years after the sensation in Middlesbrough, Italy suffered another painful blow from an Asian side – this time in the round of 16 against one of the tournament hosts, South Korea.
Even before the game, references to the match against North Korea had appeared in the stands, and the slogan “Again 1966” served as a reminder to the Italians of one of the most traumatic episodes in their football history.
After an early goal from Christian Vieri, Italy held on to a narrow lead until the 88th minute, when Seol Ki-hyeon equalized and took the game into extra time. The hero of the match was Ahn Jung-hwan, who scored the golden goal, redeeming himself for the penalty he had missed in the first half.
After defeating Italy, South Korea beat Spain on penalties to reach the semi-finals. There, the hosts lost to Germany and then were defeated by Turkey in the match for third place. The Koreans fell just short of a medal, but still made history: fourth place remains the best result ever achieved by an Asian national team on the world’s biggest football stage.
United States vs Iran 1-2, 1998
On June 21, 1998, Iran and the United States clashed in France. Formally, it was just another group stage match, but interest in the game extended far beyond the pitch. With no diplomatic relations between the two countries, the match was widely expected to be one of the most tense of the tournament.
Before the kick-off, the Iranians presented their opponents with white roses, and then the teams posed for a group photo. This symbolic gesture helped to ease the political tension surrounding the encounter, but didn’t make the game any less tense or emotional.
Iran proved more clinical and composed in the decisive moments. Hamid Estili opened the scoring with a header, and in the second half, Mehdi Mahdavikia doubled the lead. The United States responded with a late goal from Brian McBride, but there was no time left to save the game. Iran held on to a 2-1 victory, winning a match at such a high level for the first time in their history.
Asian national teams have proven time and again that they are capable of springing surprises, beating the favorites, winning tough groups and turning single matches into events that are remembered for years. This summer, they’ll have another chance to write a few more memorable chapters in the history of the world’s main football tournament.
Published by Patrick Jane
17.05.2026