The 2025–26 season has produced some of the most shocking and unexpected results that hardly any other campaign could replicate. This campaign has shown some of the greatest underdog victories that have torn up the usual scripts of giants dominating the ties. From title contenders collapsing against unfancied opponents to historic clubs suffering humbling defeats, this season has delivered shocks that go far beyond routine upsets. Some of them caused upsets never before seen in history. The magnitude of the success for the victors has been unparalleled and unprecedented in those battles. Tactical gambles, fixture congestion, injuries, and fearless underdogs have combined to create a season where reputation has counted for very little once the whistle blew. These results showed that the beauty of football is still very much alive and is not completely overtaken by the wealthy few. This season could be a reminder of that.
Here are some of the most shocking and unexpected results of the 2025-26 season:
PSG 0-1 Botafogo - FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group Stage (20 June 2025)
The first shocking result of the 2025-26 season came in the group stages of the inaugural Club World Cup hosted in the USA, which turned heads. Paris Saint-Germain entered this competition as ṭhe best team in Europe, finally winning the Champions League and in style with a fearsome attack, also becoming the first French team in history to complete a treble. They showed their class again in the opening game of the Club World Cup, dismantling fellow UEFA side Atletico Madrid 4-0. Everyone expected the Parisians to unleash another rout when they faced the 2024 Copa Libertadores winners, Botafogo, in the clash of the champions, despite the opponents being in equally good form. One of the most prominent clubs in Brasileiro, Botafogo, won their first Copa Libertadores in history in dominating fashion. Yet, they were facing a ruthless European side managed by one of the best in the role, Luis Enrique, so many counted them out before the clash began.
However, something extraordinary happened in just 36 minutes into the clash as Botafogo forward Igor Jesus, who transferred to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League that summer, was sent through and managed to beat the best goalkeeper of the previous season, Gianluigi Donnarumma. The strike was a bit of fortune as it took a deflection off PSG defender William Pacho to find its way into the net, but the goal sent a shockwave through the footballing world. Botafogo defended valiantly from then on and restricted free-flowing, free-scoring European champions to merely two shots on target, with nothing coming off those at the end. The fact that PSG only lost one more time in the competition, a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the final, showed the magnitude of their achievement. Where other top European sides failed to prevent this PSG team, Botafogo did and they will be remembered for a long time.
Grimsby Town 2-2 Manchester United (12-11 on penalties) - Carabao Cup 2025-26 Second Round (28 August 2025)
Any low point for Manchester United is not shocking nowadays, as the club has regressed from their acclaimed standards for a decade and a half. However, even the most struggling period in the Red Devils’ history cannot justify the result they endured in the second round of the Carabao Cup against a third-tier side, Grimsby Town. United fans were divided on Ruben Amorim after the club suffered the worst Premier League season in their history and also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur last time, but nobody could have ever predicted that the League Cup tie, among others will become a memorable match for them in the 2025-26 season for all the wrong reasons. The start of the first full season under Amorim was disappointing, suffering a 1-0 loss to Arsenal at Old Trafford despite a promising performance and only playing out a 1-1 draw with Fulham before entering this tie.
The fans anticipated that the club would set their season on track with a convincing victory over Grimsby, despite it being an away game, due to the perceived quality gap between the two sides. However, it was far from the truth as the League Two side registered a historic result, leaving their stunned visitors in a lurch. United fans realised it would be a long evening when Grimsby took a shock lead in the 22nd minute, with Charles Verman finding the near post before his corner was turned in by Tyrell Warren on the half-hour mark. To be fair, Amorim’s side came back into the match having shaken to the core by what they had witnessed, with a second-half comeback. Bryan Mbeumo reduced the deficit in the 75th minute before Harry Maguire came to the late rescue, as he often does, with a 85th minute equaliser, but it only saved initial blushes. United became destined for embarrassment as they lost a long, dragging penalty 12-11, with Mbeumo hitting the bar from the crucial spot-kick. On the other hand, Grimbsy caused a seismic upset by recording their first win over the Premier League side since 1947-48.
PSG 0-1 Paris FC - Coupe de France 2025-26 Round of 32 (5 January 2026)
The New Year 2026 brought numerous unexpected results, with January alone showcasing several of them. Not even the Champions League holders, PSG, were spared an upset that too in their den when they faced a fellow side from the capital, Paris FC, in the Round of 32 of the Coupe de France. Except for the Club World Cup, Enrique’s side won every other possible trophy available, adding to their historic treble last season, including the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the Trophée des champions this term. The latter triumph ensured they won a sixth domestic honour on the trot and were looking to add more to their collection by winning this tournament. PSG entered into this clash straight off the dramatic win over Marseille to lift the Super Cup and Paris FC, whom they already defeated in the league that game ago, looked to be the next prey for them. The side placed just two places above the relegation, though, had other ideas as they prepared to take on the champions extremely well, most importantly mentally. The cup being the stage for giant killers came into effect when PSG’s very own academy product, Jonathan Ikoné, scored the only goal of the game in the 74th minute after a stellar defensive work that saw them concede 23 shots with seven on target, but remained unbreached. There was no late comeback show from the Parisians as they lost for the first time to Paris FC, getting eliminated from this stage of the competition for the first time in 20 years.
Macclesfield Town 2-1 Crystal Palace - FA Cup 2025-26 Third Round (10 January 2026)
Crystal Palace made a stellar achievement in lifting the FA Cup title as the first piece of silverware ever in the club’s 120-year-old history, beating a giant like Manchester City to create history at Wembley. The victory was no fluke. It showed the development that the manager, Oliver Glasner, put into Palace, transforming them from a relegation battler to European football chasers. While the magic of the cup worked in the Eagles' favour, they did not expect to be on the wrong side of an upset themselves at the beginning of their FA Cup defence in the 2025-26 season from the third round. The Premier League outfit was facing a sixth-tier outfit, Macclesfield Town and just like the other matches in the list, nobody other than their fans gave the non-league side any shot at glory.
There was fair reason to think so, as not only was the difference between the division was an issue, but also both sides were separated by the furthest in the English football pyramid, with a staggering 117 places. Yet, Macclesfield Town created a fairytale that seems unreal every time it is brought up. Managed by Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney’s brother, John Rooney, the Silkmen took full advantage of their home advantage, with the tie played at the 5,911 capacity Moss Rose ground to create unbelievable history. The inspiration came from their captain, Paul Dawson, who had his head wrapped in a bandage from an early collision, heading in a free-kick just before the break to put his side into dreamland, sending their fans into pandemonium.
The celebration would not cease as Isaac Buckley-Ricketts flicked the ball beyond Palace’s keeper Walter Benitez to double the lead on the hour mark. Glasner’s side were able to put the ball in the back of the net, after failing to register a single shot on target in the first half, deep into stoppage time with an excellent free-kick for Yeremy Pino, but it became too little too late as Macclesfield Town secured a famous victory and arguably caused the biggest upset the FA Cup has ever witnessed. The Eagles were humiliated as they exited the competition in this manner, becoming the first FA Cup holders to lose to a non-league side since Palace themselves matched the feat in 1908-09. On the other hand, Macclesfield became the first sixth-tier team ever to beat a Premier League team in their history.
Albeceste 3-2 Real Madrid - Copa del Rey Round of 16 (15 January 2026)
To be fair, Real Madrid were in a worrisome state heading into the Round of 16 clash in the Copa del Rey, fresh off losing to arch-rivals Barcelona in yet another Spanish Super Cup final and also showing the exit door to Xabi Alonso amid a lot of controversy. However, no excuses would suffice for one of the greatest clubs in the history of the sport crumbling against an outfit that is well away from their team's value. Another former player, Alvaro Arbeloa, took interim charge and the first thing he needed was to calm things down with a victory, especially facing a relegation-battling second-division side. The least he wanted was for Los Blancos to be humiliated in the tie to pile up the pressure and that is what happened.
Real Madrid made a catalogue of changes, turning to more young faces, but so did Albacete, but their intention was more serious than the guests'. Supported by the hostile atmosphere created by their fans for their opponents at Estadio Carlos Belmonte, the host took the lead in the 42nd minute when centre-back Javi Villar scored from a corner. However, they pegged back soon after with Arbeloa’s side scoring from a corner of themselves. Franco Mastantuono reacted quickest to the rebound of Dean Huijsen’s header, which was expertly saved by the home side’s keeper, Raul Lizoain, but to no avail. Both sides headed into the break 1-1 and despite a poor start, many thought Los Blancos would take authority from here.
The spirit of Albacete’s players was undying as they again threw the Spanish giants off guard with second-half substitute Jefte Betancor turning out to be the hero of the evening. The striker slammed in a volley in the 82nd minute to retake the lead and stun the guests for the second time. Still, Los Blancos found a way to come back into the game with their promising young forward Gonzalo Garcia levelling it up for his side for the second time, a corner-kick being the source again. With time running out, Real Madrid pushed for a winner, but Albacete once again proved unnerved by their circumstances and did the unthinkable when Jefte popped up with another stunning goal to spark unbelievable scenes of a giant-killing episode.
