Don’t get us wrong—what Slovakia accomplished on Monday is nothing short of historic. But categorizing it as the greatest upset in European Championship history might just be a bit too much.
But Fox has doubled down on the claim that announcer Jacqui Oatley boasted during the final seconds of Slovakia’s group stage upset in the 2024 UEFA Euro. Oatley called it the greatest upset in European Championship history, and so did Fox Soccer’s official X account. And yes, with the teams ranked No. 3 and No. 48, respectively, in the FIFA rankings, that would constitute one.
THE LARGEST UPSET IN EUROS HISTORY 👏
Slovakia fans will always remember this one ❤️🇸🇰 pic.twitter.com/VoO1uVkdyn
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 17, 2024
But there’s a little more to it than meets the eye.
FIFA rankings matter for World Cup and Euro seeding pots, but some teams might game the system. Let’s look at Belgium, for example. It was ranked No. 1 in the FIFA rankings from 2018-21. They were arguably the best team in the world, despite reaching one semifinal in a major tournament with world players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku.
Though still strong, its dominance seems to have waned, with Monday’s upset proving that Belgium is no longer the powerhouse force on the international stage it once was.
Let’s not diminish Slovakia’s impressive win, but some might argue it wasn’t the most historic upset ever. Iceland defeating England, Greece’s surprising Euro 2004 victory or Denmark’s 1992 triumph come to mind. In fact, Greece conquered the entire tournament in 2004, beating teams like France with Zinedine Zidane, the Czech Republic with Pavel Nedvěd, and Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo twice, which stands out as a more monumental upset for many fans.
I mean I think Greece winning the entire tournament in 2004 beating Zidane’s France, Nedved’s Czechs and Ronaldo’s Portugal twice counts as a slightly bigger upset if I’m honest https://t.co/LUa5TSWgK1
— KShanks_History (@HistoryKss) June 17, 2024
‘Largest upset in Euros history’. Is 20 years too long ago? 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/SvZJeL22Hi
— Alex R Terrell (@alxterrell) June 17, 2024
Greece won the euros in 2004….
— Michał – 𝓕𝓒𝓑🇵🇱💫 (@FootballStuffpl) June 17, 2024
Definitely not the largest… Iceland beating England trumps this https://t.co/4aRDjfKfSB
— James Brew Amissah (@jaybrew3690) June 17, 2024
FIFA rankings are very flawed. https://t.co/GVbktRl8sl
— Adam Papageorgiou (@PapageorgiouMBO) June 17, 2024
Belgium has been ranked higher than what they should have for years. https://t.co/zXvG84KnjK
— Mike (@Mike__Dhcf) June 17, 2024
Belgium at 3 is a farce. Should be ranked around 8-10
— stashofsteel (@stashofsteel) June 17, 2024
Only time will tell if Slovakia’s victory enters the pantheon of greatest Euro upsets, but for now, it’s a moment etched in footballing history. And with Iceland (2016) and Greece (2004) in mind, Slovakia’s win might not be the sole champion of upsets, but it’s a victory the country and its supporters will forever cherish.