The FIFA World Cup is a soccer tournament that includes 32 (48 from 2026) of the world’s best sides. However, the great teams are always from Europe and South America. The other confederation teams don’t usually make much impact, and most go out in the first round. The weakest teams in the World Cup concede many goals because the top sides thrash them. The biggest wins in FIFA World Cup history were recorded in 1982 and the 1958 final.
Hungary have never won a FIFA World Cup, but they have had the biggest wins in it. In 1982, they played El Salvador in the group stages. In that game, Hungary went a goal ahead within the first four minutes, with the ball headed in from a corner. Six minutes later, it was 2-0, and Fazekas blasted in a fine strike from outside the box to put them 3-0 within 30 minutes.
At halftime, the scoreline was 3-0 to Hungary. That was just a warm-up for the Hungarian team, and soon after the interval, they made it four. Minutes later, Fazekas netted his second. El Salvador scored one goal from within a few yards of the Hungary goal line. Then they were just 5-1 down!
Soon after, Hungary made it six from another corner kick. Just within the final 20 minutes, Sznetes put the ball into the back of an open net after being played in from the left. Minutes later, Kiss scored another Hungarian goal with an audacious lob over their goalkeeper. After that goal, El Salvador’s goalkeeper deflected a low cross from the left to Kiss, who then struck the ball into the net for a hat-trick. Within the final 10 minutes of the game, Hungary scored a 10th when a precise cross was headed into the right of El Salvador’s net. The game ended: Hungary 10 El Salvador 1.
That remains a record World Cup victory, as no team has ever matched Hungary’s 10 goals in a single game. El Salvador’s one goal ensured Hungary’s winning margin was only a joint record, as a few other teams have won 9-0. Hungary beat the Korea Republic 9-0 in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Yugoslavia also hammered the African minnows Zaire by the same nine-goal margin of victory in 1974.
Hungary was not a great team in 1982, even though they did clock up a record-breaking win against a lightweight opponent. Despite the victory, they still finished third in their group and did not make it to the next round. El Salvador’s displays were somewhat better in subsequent games as they were narrowly beaten, but they got no points on the board.
The FIFA World Cup finals are much closer games. The record win in the World Cup final came in 1958. Then, a Pele-inspired Brazil took on Sweden, the host nation. Whilst Sweden went in front, their lead did not last long as the Brazilians scored twice in the first half.
In the second half, the floodgates opened. Pele scored twice for the Brazilians to seal their victory. Alongside Zagallo’s goal, the goals ensured a 5-2 victory and a first World Cup win for Brazil. Five goals remains a record number scored by a team in the final, and the 3-0 goal-winning margin has not yet been eclipsed.
Those were the biggest wins in the FIFA World Cup and its final. In those games, Brazil and Hungary netted 15 goals and conceded three. Hungary’s 10-1 victory might never be eclipsed in the FIFA World Cup because the gulf between the best and worst teams that qualify is getting smaller.
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