Portugal's 7-0 victory over North Korea yesterday is hardly unprecedented in World Cup history. In fact, many teams that we don't associate with getting blown out have been beaten by 5+ goals. The Hungary-El Salvador game featured substitute Lazslo Kiss scoring three goals in seven minutes.
Year | Winner | Goals | Loser | Goals | Margin |
1982 | Hungary | 10 | El Salvador | 1 | 9 |
1974 | Yugoslavia | 9 | Zaire | 0 | 9 |
2002 | Germany | 8 | Saudi Arabia | 0 | 8 |
2010 | Portugal | 7 | North Korea | 0 | 7 |
1974 | Poland | 7 | Haiti | 0 | 7 |
2006 | Argentina | 6 | Serbia | 0 | 6 |
1986 | Soviet Union | 6 | Hungary | 0 | 6 |
1978 | West Germany | 6 | Mexico | 0 | 6 |
1978 | Argentina | 6 | Peru | 0 | 6 |
1998 | Spain | 6 | Bulgaria | 1 | 5 |
1998 | Holland | 5 | South Korea | 0 | 5 |
1998 | Argentina | 5 | Jamaica | 0 | 5 |
1994 | Russia | 6 | Cameroon | 1 | 5 |
1966 | West Germany | 5 | Switzerland | 0 | 5 |
1962 | Yugoslavia | 5 | Colombia | 0 | 5 |
1962 | Hungary | 6 | Bulgaria | 1 | 5 |
1958 | Czechoslovakia | 6 | Argentina | 1 | 5 |
Before 1958, the World Cup featured a lot of mismatches and so 5+-goal wins were much more common:
Year | Winner | Goals | Loser | Goals | Margin |
1954 | Hungary | 9 | South Korea | 0 | 9 |
1950 | Uruguay | 8 | Bolivia | 0 | 8 |
1938 | Sweden | 8 | Cuba | 0 | 8 |
1954 | Turkey | 7 | South Korea | 0 | 7 |
1954 | Uruguay | 7 | Scotland | 0 | 7 |
1950 | Brazil | 7 | Sweden | 1 | 6 |
1938 | Hungary | 6 | Dutch East Indies | 0 | 6 |
1934 | Italy | 7 | USA | 1 | 6 |
1954 | Brazil | 5 | Mexico | 0 | 5 |
1954 | Hungary | 8 | West Germany | 3 | 5 |
1954 | West Germany | 7 | Turkey | 2 | 5 |
1954 | Austria | 5 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 5 |
1954 | West Germany | 6 | Austria | 1 | 5 |
1950 | Brazil | 6 | Spain | 1 | 5 |
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