May 14, 2026 (News On Japan) - International brand 1xBet tells the story of five matches that had the entire football world talking about Asian teams.
South Korea vs Italy 2-1, 2002
1xBet review cannot fail to mention the 2002 tournament. 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. That goal cost him his career in Italy: the president of Perugia, the club for which Ahn Jung-hwan was playing at the time, terminated his contract in a fit of emotion.
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.
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.
North Korea vs Italy 1-0, 1966
On July 19, 1966, at the tournament in England, North Korea faced Italy, one of Europe’s most high-profile national teams. Hardly anyone took the Koreans seriously, and their very presence in the tournament finals appeared unusual. They were given this opportunity after some African and Asian national teams boycotted the qualification due to the controversial distribution of spots.
The Italians arrived at the competition as one of the favorites. Edmondo Fabbri’s squad included Sandro Mazzola, Giacinto Facchetti, Giacomo Bulgarelli and future Ballon d’Or winner Gianni Rivera. But the star-studded lineup wasn’t enough: Pak Doo-ik scored the only goal, and North Korea’s 1-0 victory became one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
For the Koreans, that game was their ticket to the quarter-finals, while La Squadra Azzurra’s early exit was met with boos, insults and even rotten tomatoes from the home crowd.
South Korea vs Germany 2-0, 2018
In 2018, South Korea took on Germany in the group stage of the global tournament. For the defending champions, the match was crucial in terms of their position in the group standings, whereas for the Taegeuk Warriors, it was more of a matter of prestige, as their chances of reaching the knockout stage were merely theoretical following defeats to Sweden and Mexico.
The Germans were determined to win: they dominated possession, pinned their opponents back in their penalty area for long periods and kept up the pressure on the goal. But Shin Tae-yong’s side withstood Die Mannschaft’s onslaught and seized their chance in stoppage time.
In the 90+2nd minute, Kim Young-gwon scored after a corner kick. The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but following a VAR review, the referee reversed his decision. In an attempt to fight back, Germany pushed even Manuel Neuer forward, and Son Heung-min took advantage of this: in the 90+6th minute, he broke away towards an empty net and sealed the victory – 2-0.
Although the victory didn’t see South Korea through to the knockout stage, it was no less significant. The Asian team eliminated the reigning champions from the competition and produced one of the most dramatic finishes to the group stage in recent history.
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.
