The Day Brazil Lost to Honduras
Football is full of surprises, from Leicester City's historic Premier League win in 2016 to Morocco's unforgettable run to the semifinals of Qatar 2022. But one of the biggest upsets in football history was when Honduras beat Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2001 Copa América.
On July 23, 2001, the Honduran national team defeated Brazil 2-0, knocking out the "Canarinha" in the Copa América quarterfinals, thanks to an incredible game by Saúl Martínez, who scored twice under the guidance of Ramón Maradiaga.
Saúl's goals were something else. In the 57th minute, Rambo de León sent a perfect cross to Martínez, who headed the ball past Belletti's right post with amazing precision.
Later on, Limber Pérez, who was playing for Pumas in Mexico at the time, put on a magic show by nutmegging Denilson and pulling off a Maradona-like dribble past several players. He then sent a pass through another defender's legs, setting up Saúl Martínez to seal the historic win.
Honduras was invited to participate in place of Argentina and delivered one of the most impressive performances of the tournament, finishing in third place.
