With the World Cup just few days away, attention turns not only to the upcoming spectacle but also to some of the tournament’s most remarkable historical results. Among the most striking are the largest victories ever recorded, matches decided by nine goals or more that left a lasting imprint on football history. The first came in 1954, when Hungary dismantled South Korea 9‑0 in Zurich, powered by braces from Péter Palotás and Ferenc Puskás and a hat‑trick from Sándor Kocsis.

Two decades later, Yugoslavia matched that margin at the 1974 World Cup, overwhelming Zaire 9‑0 in Gelsenkirchen with standout performances from Dragan Džajić and Dušan Bajević. Hungary returned to the record books in 1982 with a 10‑1 demolition of El Salvador in Elche, a match remembered for László Kiss’s historic substitute hat‑trick. These results remain defining examples of dominance on football’s biggest stage.