The biggest World Cup qualifying wins of all time - ranked

In minor league baseball there is something called the mercy rule. Essentially if a team gets too far in front their opposition is spared the embrassment of having to keep on playing and everyone gets to go home and cry.

There is not such convention in football. Therefore, if you go 10-0 down with 15 minutes left to play you just have grit your teeth until the full time whistle ends the suffering.

The World Cup qualification process suffers particularly badly with mismatched contests that the mercy rule would likely end before they even begin. Here are the most ludicrously one-sided matches of the 21st century...

17. Maldives 12-0 Mongolia (2003)

Kicking off our list is an in demand holiday destination thrashing a somewhat less in demand holiday destination.

There is worse to come for Mongolia on this list as well...

16. China 12-0 Bhutan (2015)

Located on the eastern edge of the Himalayas, Bhutan is more known for its buddhist temples than its football team.

This showed when they took on China back in 2015, with striker Xu Yang helping himself to four of his team's 12 goals.

15. Syria 12-0 Philippines (2001)

Syria were in a no mood to accommodate their qualifying group's minnows in 2001, smashing 12 goals past the Philippines to no reply.

They did at least manage to restore some pride in the return fixture, only losing 5-1. That's basically a win.

14. Brunei 0-12 United Arab Emirates (2001)

United Arab Emirates are not exactly a footballing powerhouse, but they still gave lowly Brunei a thumping in 2001.

Yaser Salem Ali was in a rampant mood, netting five goals.

13. El Salvador 12-0 Anguilla (2008)

Anguilla has a smaller population than Bangor so it is no surprise that they struggle to put a decent team together.

Their darkest hour came in 2008 when El Salvador put them to the sword 12-0.

12. Oman 12-0 Laos (2001)

The worst thing about this defeat is that it is not even Loas' biggest ever.

That occured all the way back in 1963 when Egypt put 15 goals past them to no reply.

11. Bermuda 13-0 Montserrat (2004)

Populated by less than 5,000 people the people of Montserrat generally prefer cricket.

These are not opportune conditions for creating a good football team as their 13-0 defeat to Bermuda showed in 2004.

10. Fiji 13-0 American Samoa (2001)

Spoiler alert! This is not the last time that American Samoa will be appearing on this list.

This was a pretty dark day even by their own low standards, though. Fiji really are not very good at football.

9. Mongolia 0-14 Japan (2021)

Japan never have too many problems in World Cup qualifying but they took their dominance to a new level in March 2021.

At half time the score was only 5-0 with nine second half goals capping off a historic victory.

8. Iran 14-0 Cambodia (2019)

Iran are a football mad nation. Cambodia... not so much.

This gulf in class was evident in 2019 with eight different scorers getting in on the act in front of 15,000 spectators in Tehran.

7. Qatar 15-0 Bahrain (2015)

Qatar's 'innovative' method of naturalising a host of foreign born stars has helped turn them into an Asian football powerhouse.

Poor Bahrain had no chance.

6. Vanuatu 15-0 America Samoa (2007)

It's our old friends American Samoa again, losing 15-0 to lowly Vanuatu back in 2007.

This victory took the Isle of Smiles to its highest ever place on the FIFA rankings, 131st.

5. Fiji 16-0 Tuvalu (2007)

Woah. We take back what we said about Fiji earlier. Perhaps there really are the real deal.

More likely is that Tuvalu, with its population of 11,000, may not be the strongest opposition.

4. Tajikistan 16-0 Guam (2000)

Guam have improved significantly in recent years, securely victories over the likes of India and Turkmenistan in 2015.

At the turn of millennium such feats would have seemed a long way off, particularly after Tajikistan smashed 16 past them in World Cup qualifying.

3. Iran 19-0 Guam (2000)

Back to back entries for Guam. What a moment.

Ali Daei, the man Cristiano Ronaldo is chasing down as the leading scorer in international football history, helped himself to a brace in this one.

2. Australia 22-0 Tonga (2001)

Two days before they were involved in the number one entry in this list, Australia put a 22 goals past lowly Tonga.

To be fair, they are more of a rugby nation.

1. Australia 31-0 American Samoa (2001)

This result was so historic it inspired its own brilliant documentary, Next Goal Wins.

Australian striker Archie Thompson had a particularly good evening, helping himself to a ridiculous 13 goals.