Top 10 Biggest Sports Upsets of All Time

The Top Ten
USA upsets USSR in hockey, 1980 The United States men's hockey team defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union 4-3 in the semifinals of the 1980 Winter Olympics. The Soviet team had won gold in the previous four Olympics and was considered the most dominant hockey team in the world. The U.S. went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland in the final.

I was a student at the University of Minnesota during the match. Herb Brooks was the coach and was also Minnesota's coach, and half the team was from the U of M. The entire campus and Twin Cities were mesmerized by the team's performance. Every TV was tuned to the games, and every conversation involved them at some point. Did they win? was the question everyone asked when they got out of class. When they beat the Russians and then won the gold medal against Finland, the campus and the Twin Cities went berserk. I can remember clearly to this day Mike Ramsey showing us his gold medal when the team returned home.

Duke upsets UNLV, 1991 Final Four Duke ended UNLV's 45-game winning streak with a 79-77 victory in the 1991 Final Four. The win avenged Duke's 30-point loss to UNLV in the previous year's national championship game. Christian Laettner led Duke with 28 points, helping the team secure its first national title two days later.

May never get over it. Jerry Tarkanian was sheer genius and recruited the best talent in the country for several years. UNLV was the best show in Vegas at the time.

Nevada Las Vegas returned the same team that beat Duke for the National Championship 103-73, the largest margin ever.

Appalachian State upsets Michigan, 2007 Appalachian State, an FCS team, defeated No. 5 Michigan 34-32 in the 2007 college football season opener. Michigan missed a potential game-winning field goal in the final seconds, which was blocked by Appalachian State. This marked the first time an FCS team defeated a ranked FBS opponent.

The "no huddle" run to perfection. A well-coached team caught a giant sleeping. Upsets in 2007 were common - it was one of the best seasons ever to watch games.

As a Michigan fan, I'm still in shock. This is the biggest upset of all. We will rebound. Hats off to Appalachian State. You humbled us.

Just for clarification, I am a Buckeyes fan. If I say "Michigan sucks" to a Michigan fan, they're going to be like, "No, they don't." Then I'm like, "Take a trip back to 2007, and remember how sucky y'all really are." #MICHIGANSUCKS

Giants upset Patriots, Super Bowl XLII The New York Giants defeated the previously undefeated New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII. A key moment in the game was David Tyree's helmet catch, which helped set up the game-winning touchdown. The Giants' defense pressured Tom Brady throughout the game, holding the Patriots' high-powered offense in check.

This game was probably the biggest upset ever. Nobody thought the Giants had a chance. When they made their predictions for who would win the game, all of the announcers voted against the Giants for EVERY PLAYOFF GAME. They weren't expected to beat the Buccaneers in the first round. Plus, this game had one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history, in which David Tyree, a non-factor in any other game that season, managed to catch a crucial third-and-long throw (that Eli barely got the chance to throw) on his head! Amazing game, and an amazing upset.

#8 Golden State upsets #1 Dallas, 2007 NBA Playoffs The No. 8-seeded Golden State Warriors defeated the No. 1-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. Golden State won the series 4-2, becoming the first eighth seed to win a seven-game series against a top seed. Baron Davis led the Warriors with standout performances, including a 33-point effort in Game 6.

Dallas was the favorite to win the whole thing that year.

Greece wins UEFA Euro 2004 Championship Greece won the UEFA Euro 2004 Championship by defeating Portugal 1-0 in the final. Angelos Charisteas scored the only goal of the match with a header in the second half. Greece, considered a major underdog, also defeated defending champion France and the Czech Republic in the knockout rounds.

This Greece side had no star names in their team. They had only played in two major tournaments before and never won a single match. Every game they played in the 2004 tournament knockout stages, you were expecting them to get beat heavily. But game after game, their spirit grew, and in the final against the host Portugal, which boasted players such as Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Deco, the Greeks tactically outplayed them. Portugal's 2004 team was an attacking team, but Greece soaked it up and scored from a corner in the second half and hung on to claim the trophy.

I think this is the biggest sporting shock ever because it is not just one game. It was a tournament! Great team performance!

Jets upset Colts, Super Bowl III The New York Jets, led by quarterback Joe Namath, defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III. Namath famously guaranteed victory before the game, and the Jets controlled the contest with a strong defensive performance. The win marked the first Super Bowl victory for an AFL team over an NFL opponent.

New AFL league champs stun established NFL champs. This was the game that started the merger of the two leagues.

How is this not top 3? At the very least, it's the second-greatest Super Bowl upset.

NC State upsets Houston, 1983 NCAA Tournament Final North Carolina State defeated Houston 54-52 in the 1983 NCAA Tournament final on a last-second dunk by Lorenzo Charles. Houston, led by future NBA stars Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, had been on a 26-game winning streak. NC State coach Jim Valvano famously ran onto the court in celebration after the upset victory.

This one should be #3 or #4 easily. Nobody predicted it would be close, much less a "pass" that was slammed home at the buzzer to win.

Buster Douglas upsets Mike Tyson, 1990 Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in the 10th round to win the heavyweight championship on February 11, 1990. Tyson entered the fight as the undefeated and undisputed champion, widely regarded as the most dominant boxer in the world. Douglas, who was a 42-1 underdog, controlled much of the fight before landing a knockout combination.

Nothing is more dramatic in sports than a heavyweight knockout; a mountain of muscle, superhuman, crumbling to the canvas. The fact that it was 'Iron' Mike Tyson at the hands of an underachieving journeyman made it, as veteran commentator Bob Sheridan repeated, 'unbelievable.'

Mike Tyson was the most terrifying boxer ever to step between the ropes, he demolished his opponents with pure fear along with his terrifying power. Buster Douglas had lost his mother two weeks beforehand, the grief of which meant he didn't care what Tyson would do to him. Coupled with chaos and incompetence in Tyson's camp, Buster pulled off the upset of the century.

Patriots upset Rams, Super Bowl XXXVI The New England Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI. Adam Vinatieri kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired, securing the Patriots' first Super Bowl title. The Rams, known as "The Greatest Show on Turf," were heavily favored but struggled against the Patriots' defense.

At the time, the Patriots were a joke. They never could put together a Super Bowl-winning season. They had a quarterback, Tom Brady, who was drafted in the sixth round. They barely made it through the postseason, but when it counted, they performed. Even with John Madden saying they should kneel the ball and play for overtime, they went for it. And this set up Adam Vinatieri to hit the game-winning field goal and set himself up as one of the best field goal kickers of all time.

Patriots were a wild card team, I believe? They didn't destroy anyone that season. They just won when they had to.

The Newcomers

? Western Bulldogs upset Sydney Swans, 2016 AFL Grand Final The Western Bulldogs defeated the Sydney Swans 89-67 in the 2016 AFL Grand Final. The Bulldogs, who finished seventh in the regular season, won their first premiership since 1954. They became the first team to win the title after finishing outside the top four.

The Bulldogs were not meant to even get past the West Coast Eagles in the elimination final, thanks in part to several injuries sustained during the year, including skipper Robert Murphy. They did.

Surely the Hawthorn Hawks would cut them down to size and keep their four-peat hopes alive. Nope. Then the GWS Giants would surely push them out on their way to their first Grand Final in just their fifth season. Wrong again.

On to the Grand Final vs the Swans, the Bulldogs' first in 55 years. The Swans had more experience, having won the 2012 decider and losing the 2014 game, as well as finishing as minor premiers. What a game it was - a see-sawing contest for the first three and a half quarters. But then, the Bulldogs pulled away to win it all for the first time in 62 years, all after finishing 7th on the ladder (out of 8 teams that can make the finals).

Tl;dr: Bulldogs finished 7th on the ladder, then defeated the West Coast Eagles, Hawthorn Hawks, and GWS Giants on their way to the Grand Final, defeating the Sydney Swans to win the premiership for the first time in 62 years.

? Chicago Fire upsets D.C. United, 1998 MLS Cup The Chicago Fire defeated D.C. United 2-0 to win the 1998 MLS Cup. The Fire, an expansion team in its first season, secured the championship with goals from Jerzy Podbrozny and Diego Gutierrez. The victory made Chicago the first expansion team to win the MLS Cup.

Biggest upset in MLS, hands down. Nobody picked Chicago to defeat the two-time defending champions DC United (Washington). Nothing has topped that one since.

The Contenders
Boise State upsets Oklahoma, 2007 Fiesta Bowl Boise State stunned Oklahoma 43-42 in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, using multiple trick plays to secure the victory. The game ended in overtime with a Statue of Liberty play for the winning two-point conversion. Running back Ian Johnson proposed to his girlfriend on the field after scoring the decisive points.

Boise State had an undefeated season and yet was not even considered for the national championship game. Then, despite being underdogs against a 2-loss Oklahoma, and despite being seconds away from defeat twice, they pulled off two incredible plays and won the game.

Trick plays! The hook and lateral. Halfback pass to the tight end. Statue of Liberty.

Outstanding game!

Red Sox come back from 0-3 to beat Yankees, 2004 ALCS The Boston Red Sox became the first team in MLB history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit by defeating the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. David Ortiz delivered consecutive walk-off hits in Games 4 and 5, helping Boston win four straight games. The Red Sox went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

This should be ranked higher because the Red Sox didn't have any superstars like the Yankees did. Ortiz hadn't emerged as a superstar yet, and no one really stood out in that lineup, maybe except for Manny. Boston did have good pitching, though, like Pedro and Foulke.

The Yankees, on the other hand, had great players like Jeter, A-Rod, Rivera, and Posada. I think almost anyone, even Red Sox fans, doubted the Sox after being swept in the first 3 games, especially in Game 3.

What makes this an even greater upset is that 1) the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry was already huge, 2) in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS (which was also Red Sox-Yankees), Aaron Boone hit a home run for the Yankees that sent them to the World Series, so the Red Sox winning this ALCS was the perfect revenge, and 3) in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, the Red Sox were just three outs away from getting swept.

Villanova upsets Georgetown, 1985 NCAA Tournament Final Villanova defeated Georgetown 66-64 in the 1985 NCAA Tournament championship game. The Wildcats, an eighth seed, shot 78.6% from the field, one of the most efficient performances in tournament history. This remains the lowest-seeded team to ever win the NCAA basketball championship.

The U.S. win over the Soviets in Olympic Ice Hockey in 1980 was big, but the Soviets were showing signs they were vulnerable before the U.S. defeated them. Villanova defeated Georgetown with a 78.6 percent shooting percentage, which is still a record for the best shooting percentage in an NCAA Championship Game. They achieved that as double-digit underdogs!

Stanford upsets USC, 2007 Stanford, a 41-point underdog, defeated USC 24-23 in 2007 in one of the biggest upsets in college football history. Backup quarterback Tavita Pritchard threw the game-winning touchdown on a fourth-down play with less than a minute remaining. The loss ended USC's 35-game home winning streak.

This was a much bigger upset than the Appalachian State / Michigan game! Stanford was ranked over 100 at the time they played! Appalachian State is a perennial powerhouse in football.

This is definitely a top-ten nominee. Not even Stanford believed it after it was already over.

Broncos upset Packers, Super Bowl XXXII The Denver Broncos defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns, despite playing with a migraine. This victory marked the first Super Bowl win for the Broncos and ended a 13-year streak of NFC dominance.

It was my 33rd birthday that day, and I told everyone at the party I would run down the street in my birthday suit if the Broncos won! Oh my god! It was a brisk 18 degrees out by that time of the night! Brrr! Go Giants!

Denmark wins UEFA Euro 1992 Championship Denmark, originally not qualified for UEFA Euro 1992, won the tournament after being invited as a replacement for Yugoslavia. The team, led by goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, defeated defending champion the Netherlands in the semifinals. Denmark secured the title with a 2-0 victory over Germany in the final.

Because when the final whistle from that game got blown, almost the entire nation went out their doors and started partying and celebrating. No other sport upset can ever match this! Ever!

A wild-card team without their best player, Michael Laudrup, made history by defeating great teams like Holland (previous champions) and Germany.

Dodgers upset A's, 1988 World Series The Los Angeles Dodgers upset the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the 1988 World Series, winning in five games. In Game 1, Kirk Gibson hit a dramatic walk-off home run despite being injured, one of the most iconic moments in baseball history. Orel Hershiser dominated the series, earning MVP honors with two complete-game victories.
Australia upsets Argentina, 2006 FIFA World Cup Australia defeated Argentina 3-1 in the group stage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The victory was unexpected, as Argentina was considered one of the tournament's strongest teams. Australia advanced to the knockout stage for the first time in its history.
#16 Harvard upsets #1 Stanford, 1998 Women's NCAA Tournament Harvard became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the Women's NCAA Tournament with a 71-67 win over Stanford in 1998. Stanford played without two injured starters but was still heavily favored. Harvard remains the lowest-seeded team to win a game in the tournament.

Only time a 16 seed has beaten a 1 seed, and Stanford had home-court advantage!

Holy Cross upsets Boston College, 1942 Holy Cross defeated Boston College 55-47 in the 1942 NCAA basketball tournament. The upset occurred in the first round, eliminating Boston College from the competition. Holy Cross, a smaller program, was not expected to advance past the heavily favored Eagles.
USSR upsets USA, 1972 Olympics basketball The Soviet Union defeated the United States 51-50 in the controversial gold medal game of the 1972 Olympics. The final three seconds were replayed twice, allowing the USSR to score the winning basket. It was the first Olympic basketball loss for the U.S. men's team.
Leicester City wins 2016 English Premier League Leicester City, a 5000-to-1 underdog before the season, won the 2016 English Premier League title. The team, led by manager Claudio Ranieri and key players Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, lost only three league matches all season. Their championship was confirmed when Tottenham failed to defeat Chelsea in early May.

Yes, that's 5000-1, odds widely given by bookmakers at the start of the season in August, 2015. The Premier League boasts many of the world's richest and most successful clubs and players, but for the past 25-30 years had been only won by a small group of elite, wealthy clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

With just a few games to go at the end of the 2015 season, Leicester City (who had only been promoted to the division that year) were facing almost certain relegation to a lower league. However, they managed to cling on and win enough points to stay up for another season by the skin of their teeth. When the next season began, no one gave them a chance of even staying in the league, with bookies offering 5,000-1 on them winning the title. With no star players in their ranks, the team worked relentlessly match after match, combining great teamwork with a tireless work ethic, plus a fortunate lack of injuries, and breakout seasons from two relatively unknown players who ended up having career-defining, and even record-breaking, seasons.

A year to the day after sitting bottom of the league with time running out on their hopes of avoiding relegation, they were sat at the top, almost unreachable by the chasing pack of superstar-packed, red-faced challengers.

Not just one game. Not just one lucky punch or night-of-their-life performance. An entire 38-game, 9-month season against arguably the best teams in the world. They lost just 3 games.

The most unbelievable story ever seen in the world of sport.

Twins upset Braves, 1991 World Series The Minnesota Twins defeated the Atlanta Braves in seven games to win the 1991 World Series. The series featured multiple extra-inning games, including Game 7, which ended in a 1-0 Twins victory. Pitcher Jack Morris threw a 10-inning shutout in the deciding game.
Texas Western upsets Kentucky, 1966 NCAA Tournament Final Texas Western defeated Kentucky 72-65 in the 1966 NCAA Tournament final, becoming the first team to win a national championship with an all-Black starting lineup. Kentucky, led by coach Adolph Rupp, had been an overwhelming favorite. The game is credited with helping to accelerate racial integration in college basketball.

Are you kidding me? Best basketball upset of all time, like the Emancipation Proclamation of basketball! Definitely put Rupp in his place!

No other small college basketball team will win the National Championship!

Ranks #1 of all-time sports upsets.

#16 UMBC upsets #1 Virginia, 2018 Men's NCAA Tournament UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the history of the men's NCAA Tournament, beating Virginia 74-54 in 2018. UMBC dominated the second half, outscoring Virginia by 20 points to complete the historic upset. The win ended 135 previous attempts by No. 16 seeds to defeat a top-seeded team.
8Load More
PSearch List