What is the biggest win in World Cup history?
Hungary's 10-1 win over El Salvador at the 1982 World Cup shares the record winning margin of nine goals with Hungary's 9-0 win over South Korea in 1954 and Yugoslavia's 9-0 win over Zaire in 1974, per Opta Analyst. No 2026 match reached an eight-goal margin.
Verified·Sources named on this page, re-checked 28 September 2026
9
goals, the record World Cup winning margin, shared by three matches.
Last verified 2026-07-23 16:02 UTC
| Match | Year | Stage | Winning margin | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary 10-1 El Salvador | 1982 | Group stage | 9 goals | Opta Analyst |
| Hungary 9-0 South Korea | 1954 | Group stage | 9 goals | FIFA; Opta Analyst |
| Yugoslavia 9-0 Zaire | 1974 | Group stage | 9 goals | Opta Analyst |
| Sweden 8-0 Cuba | 1938 | Quarter-final | 8 goals | Opta Analyst |
| Uruguay 8-0 Bolivia | 1950 | Group stage | 8 goals | Opta Analyst |
| Germany 8-0 Saudi Arabia | 2002 | Group stage | 8 goals | Opta Analyst |
Sources: Opta Analyst, The Biggest World Cup Wins (20 July 2026); FIFA, The beginning of the Magyars' magic (inside.fifa.com, 3 June 2020). Re-read 28 September 2026.
Notes
- Winning margin is the goal difference in the match.
- The 1938 World Cup had no group stage; Sweden's 8-0 win over Cuba was a quarter-final, per Opta Analyst.
- Opta Analyst's ranking, published after the 2026 final, includes no 2026 match.