World Cup’s 101 Most Memorable Moments: Hungary embarrass El Salvador

By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

Editor’s note: Each day between now and the kickoff of the first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Nov. 20, we’ll unveil a different memory from World Cup history. The countdown from 101 continues with

With a brutal civil war roiling their country, El Salvador beat the odds to even qualify for the 1982 World Cup. Their luck ran out when they got to Spain. 

The Salvadorans were desperate to produce a respectable showing in just their second tournament appearance, having lost all three of their games and failing to score a goal at the 1970 event. But a lack of funding meant they took just 20 players, two short of the roster limit, and were the last team to arrive for competition. Add in an overly aggressive gameplan from young coach Mauricio “Pipo” Rodríguez, and the result was a 10-1 loss to Hungary in their opener. It remains the most lopsided scoreline in World Cup history. 

Record scoreline set

Taking place in 1982, Hungary scored 10 goals against El Salvador, making it the most lopsided result in World Cup History.

The performance was so humiliating that when ES forward Luis Ramírez Zapata scored to make it 5-1, some of his teammates implored him to tone down his celebration, lest he make the Hungarians angry. Maybe he did; László Kiss came off the bench to score a seven-minute hat trick (also a record) and Hungary added two more goals before the final whistle to complete the rout. 

One of the leading soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.