On paper at least, England vs Iran, Argentina vs Saudi Arabia and Belgium vs Canada have the potential to be rather one-sided affairs.
But, even with Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Kevin de Bruyne at their brilliant best, it would take something outstanding for any of the pre-tournament favourites to dole out a thrashing like the one Hungary gave El Salvador back in 1982.
Inspired by a seven-minute hat-trick from Laszlo Kiss – the only substitute ever to score three goals in a single World Cup match – Hungary hammered the Central American minnows 10-1 four decades ago.
No other side has ever hit double figures in a tournament game. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of that scoreline-troubling drubbing, however, is that Hungary still didn’t make it out of the group stages.
They certainly did in 1954, however. Led by the legendary Ferenc Puskas and Sandor Kocsis, Hungary finished second in a competition full of goals after thumping South Korea 9-0. They also put eight past eventual champions West Germany in that same group stage.
Will history be made in Qatar?
A talented Yugoslavia side also put nine past Zaire in 1974. Sweden, meanwhile, smashed Cuba 8-0 in 1938. Ditto Uruguay vs Bolivia in 1950 and Germany vs Saudi Arabia in 2002 – the biggest tournament victory this side of the century.
Miroslav Klose – the World Cup’s all-time record goalscorer – netted three of his 16 tournament strikes against a Saudi Arabia side who will be desperate to give a better account of themselves in Qatar.
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Four games in World Cup history have ended with a 7-0 scoreline. Uruguay vs Scotland and Turkey vs North Korea in 1954, Poland vs Haiti in 1974 and Portugal vs (them again) North Korea in 2010.
And, believe it or not, Cristiano Ronaldo only scored once that day. The most prolific footballer in history – look it up, it’s official – waited until the 87th minute to get in on the act.
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