🔝 The five biggest shocks of 2021 😲 | OneFootball

It’s been one hectic year of football with plenty of action from a very clustered schedule.

2021 brought moments we will never forget, and some we’d like to erase.

Here are our five biggest shocks from 2021.

5. Lille dethrone PSG

It was a season-long effort, but a 2-1 win over Angers back in May secured Lille’s fourth-ever Ligue 1 title over Paris Saint-Germain.

Now the club from the capital has a stronghold in France’s domestic competition, winning all but once since the 2012-13 season and were on their way to match the record for most titles won by a single club (10).

But Lille successfully dethroned PSG by just one point, securing their first title in 10 years. The reigning champions currently sit eighth in the table this season, but the achievement will forever remain a stunning moment in the history of French football.

4. Sheriff Tiraspol stun Real Madrid

Thirteen-time Champions League winners Real Madrid suffered complete embarrassment on home turf against Sheriff Tiraspol back in September.

It was David against Goliath at the Santiago Bernabéu and the minnows, who were making their debut in the competition, managed to score two of their four shots to dramatically win 2-1 after an 89th-minute rocket from Sébastien Thill.

Arguably one of the biggest shocks in the history of the competition, let alone this year.

3. Brazil v Argentina’s WCQ abrupted mid-game

It was expected to be a dramatic clash with lively scenes, but what happened on the pitch during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Argentina in September was really something else.

With less than 10 minutes played, Brazilian health officials raided the pitch after four players from Argentina were accused of failing to follow the current COVID-19 quarantine rules and regulations at the time.

The match was halted, Argentina went to their dressing room, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. attempted talking to officials to try and find a resolution but the match was eventually suspended.

Quite shocking scenes in São Paulo.

2. Super League announcement causes chaos

Things were moving at warp speed when the initial news of the European Super League broke back in April.

Club statements flying left and right, reaction pouring in over social media followed by protests from fans and players along with an overwhelming amount of disbelief and confusion across the board.

Eventually, the ‘new’ league all but collapsed before it could even get up and running with nine of the 12 big-name clubs pulling out mere hours after the announcement.

It could have easily been the end of football as we know it, with decades of history washed away. But the world united to assert the fact that football is for the fans. And it always will be.

1. Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona

There really was only one event that truly shook the football world to its core, wasn’t there?

How Barcelona managed to let Lionel Messi slip from their grasp was something nobody thought would actually happen – until it did.

Sure rumours were swirling for what seemed like forever regarding his potential departure, but when the bomb dropped in August it all felt like a dream.

Will Barcelona regret pulling the trigger on arguably the biggest decision in the club’s history? Time will tell.

Honourable mentions…