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#REDIRECT [[Underdog#Cinderella]]
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{{Short description|A competitor who excels despite low expectations}}
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In [[sport]]s, the terms '''Cinderella''', "'''Cinderella story'''", and '''Cinderella team''' are used to refer to situations in which competitors achieve far greater success than would reasonably have been best expected.<ref>{{cite web|last=Merron|first=Jeff|title=ESPN.com: Page 2 : Who are the greatest Cinderella stories?|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=list/cinderellastories|website=ESPN.com|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/2004/March/26/sports2.asp |title=Cinderella stories: Battling from the bottom up |last1=Kim |first1=Suzie |date=26 March 2004 |publisher=The Gazette |access-date=28 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716232231/http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/2004/March/26/sports2.asp |archive-date=16 July 2012}}</ref> Cinderella stories tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the tournament final game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/march-madness5.htm |title=How March Madness Works |last1=Bonsor |first1=Kevin |website=HowStuffWorks.com |date=17 March 2003 |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref>
}}

The term comes from the well-known European folk tale of ''[[Cinderella]]'', which embodies a myth-element of unjust oppression and triumphant reward, when the title character's life of poverty is suddenly changed to one of remarkable fortune. In a sporting context the term has been used at least since 1939, but came into widespread usage in 1950, when [[Cinderella (1950 film)|the Disney movie]] was released that year, and in reference to [[1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team|City College of New York]], the unexpected winners of the NCAA Men's Basketball championship also that year.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g42TyP-V5C8C&q=Pat+Forde+College+Basketball+Encyclopedia+Cinderella&pg=PR41|title=ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game|author=ESPN|location=New York|publisher=ESPN Books|year=2009|page=28|isbn=9780345513922}}</ref> The term was used by [[Bill Murray]] in the 1980 movie ''[[Caddyshack]]'' where he pretends as the announcer to his own golf fantasy: "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the [[Masters Tournament|Masters]] champion."<ref>{{cite news |title=Soundclip of Bill Murray in Caddyshack|url=http://www.moviesoundscentral.com/sounds/caddyshack/cinderellastory.wav |work=MovieSoundsCentral |access-date=2007-02-26}}</ref> Referring somewhat inaccurately to the plot details of the classic ''Cinderella'' story, the media will debate whether the given "Cinderella" team or player will "turn into a pumpkin", i.e. fail to win the prize and then return to its former obscurity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Sports/2013/0322/March-Madness-2013-Is-Harvard-the-next-Cinderella|title=March Madness 2013: Is Harvard the next 'Cinderella'?|date=22 March 2013|access-date=10 June 2022|publisher=[[Christian Science Monitor]]}}</ref> In the fairy tale, it was the carriage that turned into a pumpkin at midnight, not Cinderella herself. Another popular term is "strike midnight", when a Cinderella team does finally get beaten.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wric.com/story/4714251/clock-strikes-midnight-for-cinderella-team-george-mason |title=Clock Strikes Midnight for Cinderella Team George Mason - WRIC Richmond News and Weather - |access-date=2013-03-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212181504/http://www.wric.com/story/4714251/clock-strikes-midnight-for-cinderella-team-george-mason |archive-date=2013-12-12}} "Clock Strikes Midnight For Cinderella Team George Mason"</ref>

Prior to the widespread use of ''Cinderella'' in this way, the more common term for unexpected and dramatic success was ''Miracle'', as in the "Miracle [[Atlanta Braves|Braves]]" of [[1914 Boston Braves season|1914]], the "[[United States v England (1950 FIFA World Cup)|Miracle on Grass]]" in 1950, the "[[Shot Heard 'Round the World (baseball)|Miracle of Coogan's Bluff]]" in 1951, the "[[1969 World Series|Miracle Mets]]" of 1969, and the "[[Miracle on Ice]]" in 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twicetoldarchive.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/miracle-on-ice/|title=Miracle on Ice|first=Elisabeth|last=Gruner|date=4 November 2010|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>

Cinderella teams are also referred to as a '''surprise package''' or '''surprise packet''', and their success would be termed a '''fairy-tale run'''.<ref name="Fairy-Tale"/> A related concept is the '''giant-killer''', which refers to a lesser competitor who defeats a favorite, reflecting the story of [[David and Goliath]]. In Soviet sport, particularly team sports like football and hockey, there appeared a term '''Thunder to the Dominant [teams]''' ({{lang-ru|Гроза авторитетов}}, Groza avtoritetov) that referred to underdog, often a strong mid-table team, of which the dominant teams were afraid. The title is still in use in the post-Soviet period and sometimes is given to "[[dark horse]]" teams which manage to win a major tournament.<ref>Oleg Koshelev. ''[https://tass.ru/sport/4576567 The Thunder to the Dominant": the main sensations of the Russian Cup in football (Гроза авторитетов: главные сенсации Кубка России по футболу)]''. [[TASS]].</ref> There was an official sports award that was introduced by the Soviet sports weekly "Sportivnaya Moskva" in the 1970s and 1980s for football and hockey top competitions awarded to teams that managed to take away the biggest number of points from the last season top-three placed teams.<ref>[http://www.hsf.narod.ru/awards/bwb.htm Thunder to the Dominant (Гроза авторитетов)]. HSF.narod.ru</ref>
<!--The following is ONLY AN EXAMPLE LIST. Every case of a Cinderella team does not need to be listed. Please discuss a new example/player on the talk page before adding it.-->
{{TOC limit|3}}

==Examples of "Cinderellas"==

===Alpine skiing===
* [[Hansjörg Tauscher]] at [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989|1989 World Championships]] - Tauscher best career achievement in the [[Alpine Skiing World Cup|World Cup]] was third place in a downhill race in [[Garmisch]] in January 1992, but he surprisingly won the downhill race at the [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989|WC 1989]] in [[Vail, Colorado|Vail]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/athlete-biography.html?sectorcode=AL&competitorid=60832&type=career |website=FIS Ski |publisher=FIS |access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref>
* [[Janica Kostelić]] at [[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Winter Olympics]] – After achieving 8th place in only one event at the [[Alpine skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics|1998 Winter Olympics]], Kostelić suffered a very serious knee injury in December 1999 that threatened to end her career.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kostelic injury worse than first feared |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/kostelic-injury-worse-than-first-feared-741509.html |website=The Independent |access-date=13 May 2021 |language=en |date=21 September 2011}}</ref> Having been out of commission for nearly a year, Kostelić returned to win the [[2001 Alpine Skiing World Cup]]. She would continue and bring home 4 medals out of 5 sporting competitions: [[Alpine skiing]] events at 2002 Winter Olympics, including becoming the first woman in history of Alpine skiing to win 3 gold medals during a single Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sensational return for Kostelic |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/winterolympics2002/hi/english/alpine_skiing/newsid_1821000/1821588.stm |website=BBC.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=13 May 2021 |date=22 February 2002}}</ref>

===American football===

====National Football League====
* [[1968 New York Jets season|1968 New York Jets]] – The [[American Football League]] (AFL) champion Jets, led by [[quarterback]] [[Joe Namath]], defeated the heavily favored [[National Football League]] (NFL) champion [[1968 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]] 16–7 in [[Super Bowl III]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Jets Upset Colts by 16–7 for Title in the Super Bowl|date=January 13, 1969|first=Dave|last=Anderson|newspaper=The New York Times|page=1|author-link=Dave Anderson (sportswriter)}}</ref> Namath had shockingly guaranteed a Jets win before the game.<ref>{{cite news|title=Football's Super Star; Joseph William Namath|date=January 13, 1969|newspaper=The New York Times|location=New York|page=32}}</ref><ref name="NFLcom_Cinderella_Stories">{{cite news|last1=Rank|first1=Adam|title=Greatest Cinderella stories in NFL history|url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000151552/article/greatest-cinderella-stories-in-nfl-history|location=New York|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|date=March 18, 2013|access-date=February 28, 2014}}</ref>
* [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|1969 Kansas City Chiefs]] – The Chiefs lost starting QB [[Len Dawson]] and backup [[Jacky Lee]] to injury. But third-stringer [[Mike Livingston]], along with the team's defense, orchestrated a five-game winning streak. Dawson returned and the Chiefs beat the Jets and Raiders in the AFL playoffs and then knocked off the heavily favored [[1969 Minnesota Vikings|Minnesota Vikings]] in [[Super Bowl IV]].<ref name="NFLcom_Cinderella_Stories" />
* [[1980 Oakland Raiders season|1980 Oakland Raiders]] – The Raiders became the first Wild-Card playoff team to win the Super Bowl, defeating the [[1980 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] 27–10 in [[Super Bowl XV]].<ref name="NFLcom_Cinderella_Stories" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/174631-oakland-raiders-glory-year-the-1980-cinderella-story |title=Oakland Raiders Glory Year: The 1980 Cinderella Story |date=13 May 2009 |website=BleacherReport.com |access-date=13 January 2015}}</ref>
* [[1997 Denver Broncos season|1997 Denver Broncos]]—The Broncos were the first AFC team since the then-Los Angeles Raiders at [[Super Bowl XVIII]] to win a Super Bowl, defeating the defending Super Bowl champion [[1997 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] 31–24 at [[Super Bowl XXXII]] and winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
* [[1999 St. Louis Rams season|1999 St. Louis Rams]] – After losing starting [[quarterback]] [[Trent Green]] in the preseason to a torn [[Anterior cruciate ligament|ACL]], many suspected the Rams' season was over. [[Kurt Warner]], an undrafted quarterback who formerly worked as a grocery store clerk, led the Rams to a 13–3 record, their first winning record in 10 seasons. After defeating the [[1999 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] and [[1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] in the [[1999–2000 NFL playoffs|NFC playoffs]], the Rams captured their first Super Bowl championship by defeating the [[1999 Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans]] 23–16 at [[Super Bowl XXXIV]], thanks to a defensive goal-line stand. It also marked the beginning of the Rams' [[The Greatest Show on Turf|Greatest Show on Turf]] offense that would last for the next two seasons. Warner also became the first quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in their first season as a starter. Head coach [[Dick Vermeil]] retired from coaching following the season and would subsequently be replaced by his offensive coordinator [[Mike Martz]], whom led the Rams to four playoff appearances and [[Super Bowl XXXVI]] during his four years as head coach.<ref name="NFLcom_Cinderella_Stories" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Martel|first1=Charles|title=Rams Mid-Season Report Card: Quarterback|url=http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/5/7159301/austin-davis-hero-or-zero|publisher=[[SB Nation]]|website=TurfShowTimes.com|date=November 5, 2014|access-date=July 3, 2019}}</ref>
* [[2000 Baltimore Ravens season|2000 Baltimore Ravens]] – After 4 years of losing seasons, the Ravens, who were established in 1996 as an expansion team, finished 12–4 and made the [[NFL playoffs|playoffs]] for the first time in franchise history, largely thanks to their record-setting defense. In the [[2000–01 NFL playoffs|playoffs]], the Ravens defeated the [[2000 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]], then defeated the defending AFC champion [[2000 Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans]] and the [[2000 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] to reach [[Super Bowl XXXV]] against the [[2000 New York Giants season|New York Giants]], in which the Ravens won their first Super Bowl championship by a score of 34–7. In just their first playoff appearance in franchise history, the Ravens were anticipated to have a very low chance of winning or even reaching the Super Bowl, with some believing they would lose like most brand-new teams that have made the playoffs for the first time.
* [[2001 New England Patriots season|2001 New England Patriots]] – The Patriots were a mediocre team throughout much of their franchise history, even threatening to relocate to [[Hartford, Connecticut]] and [[St. Louis]] throughout most of the 1990s. The Patriots were coming off a disappointing 5–11 season in [[2000 New England Patriots season|2000]]. In 2001, the team's second season under head coach [[Bill Belichick]], the Patriots began the season 1–3, and lost their starting quarterback [[Drew Bledsoe]] in the second game of the season, during the team's first game since the [[September 11 attacks]] on September 23 against the [[2001 New York Jets|New York Jets]], after he signed a 10-year contract worth $103 million. [[Tom Brady]], a sixth-round, 199th pick in the [[2000 NFL Draft]] took over as quarterback and led the team to an 11–5 finish, winning the [[AFC East]] division title. The season ended with a 20–17 upset victory over the 14–2 [[2001 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis Rams]] in [[Super Bowl XXXVI]], ending the Rams' [[Greatest Show on Turf]] offense and any potential for a Rams dynasty. This season marked the beginning of the Patriots' dynasty, as they would reach the [[AFC Championship game]] twelve additional times and reach the [[Super Bowl]] eight more times winning five of them over the next seventeen years, being widely regarded as one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the [[National Football League]]. The Patriots and Rams would meet again 17 years later in [[Super Bowl LIII]] in which the Patriots won again, this time by a score of 13–3.
* [[2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season|2005 Pittsburgh Steelers]] – In 2005, the 6th seeded Steelers, who failed to improve on their 15–1 record from [[2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season|the last season]] and finished 11–5, began the season at 7–5; at that point the Steelers were in jeopardy of missing the playoffs but they went on to win their last four games to earn a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. They defeated [[Bengals–Steelers rivalry|their divisional rival]], the [[2005 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]] in the playoffs, and after that 3 other teams who finished with 13+ wins; the [[2005 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]], [[2005 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]], and in [[Super Bowl XL]], the [[2005 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]]. This made the Steelers the first team since the [[1985 New England Patriots season|1985 Patriots]] to win 3 straight playoff games on the road, and this feat would later be matched by the 2007 Giants, the 2010 Packers, and the 2020 Buccaneers. The Steelers were led by [[2004 NFL Draft|2004]] 1st round pick and sophomore quarterback [[Ben Roethlisberger]], whom had led them to a near-perfect 14–1 record the season prior as a rookie.
* [[2007 New York Giants season|2007 New York Giants]]<ref name="NFLcom_Cinderella_Stories" /> – In 2007, the 5th-seeded Giants, led by [[Eli Manning]], the younger brother of Colts quarterback [[Peyton Manning]] and the top pick in the [[2004 NFL Draft|2004 Draft]], finished 10–6 in the regular season, won three playoff games on the road, defeating the [[2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], [[2007 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] and [[2007 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]], which culminated in a win over the 18–0 [[2007 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] and [[Tom Brady]] in [[Super Bowl XLII]]. Three of the four Giants' playoff victories were against teams they had lost to in the regular season (Cowboys twice).<ref name="NFLcom_Cinderella_Stories" /><ref>{{cite news|title=History derailed: Giants ruin Patriots' quest for perfection with 17–14 stunner|date=February 4, 2008|first=Dan|last=Shaughnessy|newspaper=Boston Globe|page=A1|author-link=Dan Shaughnessy}}</ref> At the time, their 10–6 regular season record was tied for the worst record among teams to win the Super Bowl. Today, the only Super Bowl-winning team to have a worse regular season record is the [[2011 New York Giants season|2011 New York Giants]], who, after a 9–7 regular season, again defeated the Patriots and Tom Brady in [[Super Bowl XLVI]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.axs.com/news/the-axs-six-pack-worst-records-to-win-the-super-bowl-73043 |title=The AXS Six-pack: Worst records to win the Super Bowl |date=28 December 2015 |work=AXS|location=Los Angeles|publisher=[[AEG]]|access-date=8 August 2017}}</ref>
* [[2010 Green Bay Packers season|2010 Green Bay Packers]] – After trading franchise quarterback [[Brett Favre]] (who had been with the Packers since the [[1992 Green Bay Packers season|1992 season]]) to the [[New York Jets]] 2 years earlier, the Packers failed to win their first division title since [[2007 Green Bay Packers season|2007]] or improve on their 11–5 record from [[2009 Green Bay Packers season|the season before]], and finished the 2010 season 10–6 with the 6th seed in the [[2010–11 NFL playoffs|NFC playoffs]]. [[Aaron Rodgers]], the 24th overall pick in the [[2005 NFL Draft|2005 Draft]], took over as starting quarterback and led them to their first playoff win in the post-Favre era as they defeated the [[2010 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]], [[2010 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]], and [[Bears–Packers rivalry|division rival]] [[2010 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]] on the road to [[Super Bowl XLV]] against the [[2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]. The Packers won Super Bowl XLV by defeating the Steelers 31–25, winning their fourth Super Bowl title in franchise history. This also made the Packers the fourth team to win three straight playoff games on the road (the others being the [[1985 New England Patriots season|1985 Patriots]], [[2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season|2005 Steelers]], and [[2007 New York Giants season|2007 Giants]]). [[2011 Green Bay Packers season|The next season]], the Packers accomplished their most successful season at 15–1; however, they lost to the eventual champion [[2011 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] in the [[2011–12 NFL playoffs|NFC divisional round]].
* [[2012 Baltimore Ravens season|2012 Baltimore Ravens]] – The Ravens failed to improve on their 12–4 record from the previous season when they fell to the [[2011 New England Patriots season|Patriots]] in the AFC Championship Game, and finished the 2012 season at 10–6. In the [[2012–13 NFL playoffs|playoffs]], the Ravens defeated the [[2012 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]], led by top draft pick [[Andrew Luck]], the [[2012 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]] in a [[Mile High Miracle|memorable double-OT victory]], and the [[2012 New England Patriots season|Patriots]] to advance to play in [[Super Bowl XLVII]] against the [[2012 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]], coached by [[Jim Harbaugh]], the younger brother of Ravens head coach [[John Harbaugh]]. The Ravens won their second title in franchise history after the [[2000 Baltimore Ravens season|2000 season]] when they won [[Super Bowl XXXV]]. It made the Ravens the only NFL team to win all of its Super Bowl appearances, replacing the 49ers.
* [[2015 Denver Broncos season|2015 Denver Broncos]] – The Broncos came off a 12–4 season in which they lost to the [[2014 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]] 13–24 and also the departure of head coach [[John Fox (American football)|John Fox]], after 5 seasons with the team. Despite once again finishing 12–4, quarterback [[Peyton Manning]] had the worst statistical season of his career since his rookie [[1998 Indianapolis Colts season|1998 season]] with the Colts. After Manning suffered a torn [[plantar fascia]] in his foot during a Week 10 game vs. the [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]], backup quarterback [[Brock Osweiler]] would start for the remainder of the regular season until the playoffs, where Manning returned from his injury and led the Broncos to victories over the [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] 23–16 in the divisional round, and then the defending Super Bowl champion [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] 20–18 in the final game of the [[Tom Brady-Peyton Manning rivalry]]. In [[Super Bowl 50]], the Broncos would then defeat the heavily favored [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]] for the Broncos' third Super Bowl title and their first in the post-[[John Elway]] era. Manning retired following the season, after playing 18 years in the league, and since this Super Bowl win and Manning's retirement the Broncos haven't qualified for the playoffs.
* [[2017 Philadelphia Eagles season|2017 Philadelphia Eagles]] – The Eagles came into the season surrounded by doubts involving second-year quarterback [[Carson Wentz]] and head coach [[Doug Pederson]]. While the team started the season strong with a win–loss record of 11–2, injuries caught up to them as Wentz was ruled out for the season following a torn ACL in Week 14 vs. the [[2017 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]]. Franchise left-tackle [[Jason Peters]] and linebacker [[Jordan Hicks]] missed extended periods of time. Backup quarterback [[Nick Foles]] took the reins from Wentz and the Eagles finished the season 13–3, securing the top NFC seed in the [[2017 NFL season|NFL playoffs]]. During the playoffs, they defeated the [[2017 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] 15–10 in the divisional round and the [[2017 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] 38–7 in the NFC championship game (coincidentally, Philadelphia defeated both teams in reverse order during their run to [[Super Bowl XXXIX]] [[2004 Philadelphia Eagles season|13 years earlier]]), and upset the [[2017 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] by a score of 41–33 in [[Super Bowl LII]], avenging their Super Bowl XXXIX loss and winning their first title since [[1960 Philadelphia Eagles season|1960]]. For his efforts in Super Bowl LII, Foles was named [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|Super Bowl MVP]], becoming the first backup quarterback to achieve this award since his opponent, [[Tom Brady]], did so in [[Super Bowl XXXVI]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Vrentas|first=Jenny|title='A Team Makes a Miracle': How the Underdog Eagles Became the Unlikeliest Super Bowl Champs|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/05/super-bow-52-philadelphia-eagles-doug-pederson-nick-foles-malcolm-butler|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|location=[[Minneapolis]]|date=February 5, 2018|access-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref>
* [[2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] — After 12 years of missing the playoffs, the Buccaneers, led by second-year head coach [[Bruce Arians]], improved their 7–9 record from [[2019 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|the previous season]], posted their first 10-win season since [[2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|2010]], and ended a 13-year playoff drought by making the [[2020–21 NFL playoffs|playoffs]] for the first time since [[2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|2007]] with an 11–5 record, but failed to win a division title when they were swept by the [[NFC South]] division champion [[2020 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]] in two regular season games. The off-season was headlined by adding former [[New England Patriots]] quarterback [[Tom Brady]], a 20-year veteran, while trading for [[Rob Gronkowski]] after talks out of retirement.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldberg |first1=Rob |title=Tom Brady Announces He's Signing Buccaneers Contract After Leaving Patriots |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2881605-tom-brady-announces-hes-signing-buccaneers-contract-after-leaving-patriots |work=Bleacher Report |publisher=Warner Bros. Discovery Sports|access-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Why Now: What Got Rob Gronkowski Out of Retirement |url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/what-got-rob-gronkowski-out-of-retirement-tom-brady-bucs-2020 |publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|location=Tampa |access-date=January 31, 2021}}</ref> In the wild card round, the Buccaneers defeated the [[2020 Washington Football Team season|Washington Football Team]] (who won the [[NFC East]] division title with a losing record) 31–23, winning their first playoff game since their [[Super Bowl XXXVII]] run in 2002. Then they defeated the NFC South champions New Orleans Saints 30–20 in the divisional round, advancing to the [[NFC Championship Game|NFC Championship]]. In the NFC Championship, the Buccaneers upset the top-seeded [[2020 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] 31–26, advancing to [[Super Bowl LV]] where they defeated the defending champion [[2020 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] 31–9, winning their second Super Bowl title in franchise history. Tom Brady was named [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|Super Bowl MVP]] for the fifth time, becoming the only player to achieve five Super Bowl MVP awards. The Buccaneers joined the 1985 Patriots (lost [[Super Bowl XX]] to the [[1985 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]]), 2005 Steelers, 2007 Giants, and 2010 Packers as the only NFL teams to win three straight playoff games on the road. This also made the Buccaneers the first team in NFL history to play in the Super Bowl on their [[Raymond James Stadium|home stadium]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold off Green Bay Packers to punch Super Bowl ticket|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30772455/tom-brady-tampa-bay-buccaneers-hold-green-bay-packers-punch-super-bowl-ticket|first=Jenna|last=Laine|work=[[ESPN]]|location=[[Tampa]]|date=January 24, 2021|access-date=January 24, 2021}}</ref>

====College====
* [[1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team|Northwestern Wildcats]] (1995) – After 23 consecutive losing seasons, the Wildcats won their first [[Big Ten Conference]] title since 1936 and recorded their first 10-win season since 1903. They went to the [[1996 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl Game]] for the first time ever, but lost a close game to [[1995 USC Trojans football team|USC]] by a score of 41–32.
* [[2006 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team|Wake Forest Demon Deacons]] (2006) – Wake Forest won the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] title after being picked by the media to finish last in their division after losing their [[Ben Mauk|starting quarterback]], starting running back, and starting left offensive tackle to injuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://collegesports.net/acc/2013/12/06/acc-flashback-friday-2006-wake-forest-demon-deacons/ |title=ACC Flashback Friday: 2006 Wake Forest Demon Deacons |last1=Ferguson |first1=Mike |date=December 6, 2013 |website=collegesports.net |access-date=February 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304110039/http://collegesports.net/acc/2013/12/06/acc-flashback-friday-2006-wake-forest-demon-deacons/ |archive-date=4 March 2014}}</ref> The team and star linebacker [[Jon Abbate]] became the subject of a 2011 feature film, ''[[The 5th Quarter]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wakeforestsports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/101107aaa.html |title=The Jon Abbate Story to Become Motion Picture |publisher=Wake Forest University|location=Winston–Salem |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref> Wake Forest was invited to the [[2007 Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]], but lost to [[2006 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]] 24–13.
* [[2006 Boise State Broncos football team|Boise State Broncos]] (2006) – In only their ninth year in Division I-A (FBS) play, the Broncos staged a last-minute regulation rally and some trick plays to defeat perennial powerhouse [[2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma Sooners]] in the [[2007 Fiesta Bowl]] by a score of 43–42.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2716979 |title=Broncos earn respect with improbable victory |last1=Forde |first1=Pat |date=2 January 2007 |work=ESPN|location=Denver |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=txt25boisestate2006cla |title=Class of 2006 leaves big imprint on Boise State |last1=Dvorak |first1=Todd |date=1 December 2011 |website=Yahoo! Sports |agency=Associated Press |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref> Their trick plays included a [[Hook and ladder (football)|hook-and-ladder]] touchdown pass on 4th-and-18 with little time to spare, a wide receiver rollout option in a variation of the [[Wildcat formation]] on another successful fourth-down conversion that resulted in another touchdown in the overtime period, and a [[Statue of Liberty play]] for the game-winning two-point conversion. The win capped a 13–0 season for the Broncos.

====Arena football====
* [[2018 Washington Valor season|Washington Valor]] (2018) – The Valor finished the regular season with a 2–10 record, leaving themselves in last place among the four teams competing that season, who all advanced to the league's playoffs. The team defeated the [[Albany Empire (AFL)|Albany Empire]] 103–97 in a [[two-legged tie|two-game total points series]] before facing the [[Baltimore Brigade]] in [[ArenaBowl XXXI]]. With the Valor's 69–55 victory over the Brigade in the championship game, they became the only team with a regular season winning percentage lower than .250 to win a championship in the history of the [[Arena Football League|AFL]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fominykh |first1=Katherine |title=Valor outrun, outsmart Brigade to claim first ArenaBowl title, 69–55 |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-brigade/bs-sp-baltimore-brigade-arenabowl-recap-20180728-story.html |access-date=July 29, 2018 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=July 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Zielonka|first=Adam|title=Why Arena Football League fans still support the game|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/29/why-arena-football-league-fans-still-support-game/|work=[[The Washington Times]]|date=July 29, 2018|access-date=July 30, 2018}}</ref>

===Association football===
* [[Manchester United F.C.]] ([[1967–68 European Cup]]) – The horror of the [[Munich air disaster]] on February 6, 1958, which killed eight members of Manchester United's [[1956–57 Manchester United F.C. season|back-to-back league championship winning team]], leaving two others with injuries which meant they couldn't play again, is something that is written large in the history of English football and is still keenly felt at [[Old Trafford]]. The young team managed by [[Matt Busby]] had been dubbed "[[the Busby Babes]]" in the media, with football left in mourning as the plane carrying United back from a European Cup quarter-final against [[Red Star Belgrade]] crashed having stopped to refuel in Munich, killing 23 people. Busby himself had suffered life-threatening injuries, but he was determined to carry on and rebuild his team, even taking them to the [[1958 FA Cup Final|FA Cup final]] that season. Eventually, United somehow recovered, winning the [[1962–63 FA Cup|FA Cup]] in [[1963 FA Cup Final|1963]] and then the [[Football League First Division|league title]] in [[1964–65 Football League First Division|1965]] and [[1966–67 Football League First Division|1967]], before Busby's greatest ever achievement of leading them to the European Cup in 1968, 10 years after the deaths of talented, largely young players [[Duncan Edwards]] (21), [[Geoff Bent]] (25), [[Roger Byrne]] (28), [[Eddie Colman]] (21), [[Mark Jones (footballer, born 1933)|Mark Jones]] (24), [[David Pegg]] (22), Tommy Taylor (26) and [[Billy Whelan|Liam "Billy" Whelan]] (22). Munich survivors [[Bill Foulkes]] and the team's [[Captain (sports)|captain]], [[Bobby Charlton]], who scored twice, were both in the team which beat [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] 4–1 after extra-time at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] in [[1968 European Cup Final|1968]], sealing United's first European Cup a decade after their lowest ebb.<ref name="Turner Sports">{{cite web |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1924032-footballs-7-greatest-cinderella-stories-of-all-time/page/4 |title=Football's 7 Greatest Cinderella Stories of All Time |last1=Jones |first1=Mark |date=17 January 2014 |work=[[Bleacher Report]]|publisher=[[Turner Sports]] |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref>
* [[Nottingham Forest F.C.]] ([[1978–79 European Cup]]) – Early in 1979, [[Brian Clough|Clough]] and [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Taylor]] felt that Forest needed more firepower, so they made Birmingham forward [[Trevor Francis]], Britain's first million-pound player. Forest couldn't have started their maiden European Cup campaign in better fashion, upsetting [[List of English football champions|champions]] [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] with a 2–0 aggregate victory over the Merseysiders in the first round. They then coasted past [[AEK Athens F.C.|AEK Athens]] (7–2) and [[Grasshopper Club Zürich|Grasshopper]] (5–2) to set up a semi-final against [[1. FC Köln|Köln]]. In the semi-final first leg in England, Forest, who had already retained their [[EFL Cup|League Cup]] crown, were held to a 3–3 draw by Köln but [[Ian Bowyer|Bowyer]]'s solitary strike in [[Germany]] saw them progress to the [[1979 European Cup Final|final]], where they would face [[Malmö FF|Malmö]]. In a [[1979 European Cup Final|tight tournament decider]] in [[Munich]], Francis paid back his exorbitant transfer fee by scoring the game's only goal from a Robertson cross, as Forest were crowned European champions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/rise-of-the-underdog-clough-taylors-footballing-fairytale-at/1nmbc7w1t7waf1ttac325rd7o5|title=Rise of the Underdog: Clough & Taylor's footballing fairytale at Nottingham Forest|last=Francis|first=Kieran|work=[[Goal (website)|Goal UK]]|location=[[Leeds]]|agency=[[DAZN Group]]|access-date=1 May 2020}}</ref>
* [[CSA Steaua București (football)|Steaua Bucharest]] ([[1985–86 European Cup]]) – Romanian side Steaua Bucharest were a significant force back in their day, so much so that they went a huge 119 games unbeaten, including 104 league matches and 15 cup games. The club racked up a simply incredible five straight [[List of Romanian football champions|league titles]] and four [[Romanian Cup|Romanian cups]] as they went from 1985 to 1989 without suffering a single defeat in domestic football. Between 1986/87 and 1988/89, Steaua played 102 league games, winning 86 and drawing 16, scoring an average of three goals per game and conceding less than a goal per match. However, it took until 1986 when they became the first Eastern European side to lift the European Cup. Steaua beat [[Terry Venables]]' [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] in [[1986 European Cup Final|that final]], despite being without their captain, who was suspended as Barcelona became the first team to miss all of their penalties in a European Cup final shootout.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.besoccer.com/new/the-team-with-the-longest-unbeaten-streak-in-european-history-325521|title=The team with the longest unbeaten streak in European history|last=Morley|first=Matt|work=BeSoccer}}</ref>
* [[Red Star Belgrade]] ([[1990–91 European Cup]]) – Red Star, under the management of [[Ljupko Petrović]], were far from a one-man team, with quality spread across the pitch. In goal was inspirational captain [[Stevan Stojanovic]], [[Miodrag Belodedici]] was a key cog in defence having already won a European Cup with Steaua Bucharest, while the supremely talented quartet of [[Vladimir Jugović]], [[Siniša Mihajlović]], [[Robert Prosinečki]] and [[Dejan Savićević]] formed one of the greatest midfields ever seen in club football. In the first round of their victorious European Cup campaign, Red Star were held to a 1–1 draw at home by [[Grasshopper Club Zürich|Grasshoppers]] but ran riot in the return leg, racking up resounding 4–1 win. [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] were up next and despite the Scottish giants' domestic domination, they were fully aware of the challenge that awaited them. Petrović's side romped to a 3–0 win in Belgrade before claiming a 1–1 draw at [[Ibrox Stadium|Ibrox]] to coast into the quarter-finals, where they outclassed [[Dynamo Dresden]], who had won the East German league before the [[reunification of Germany]]. Indeed, having won their home leg 3–0, Red Star were 2–1 up at the [[Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion]] when fans began hurling objects onto the pitch, thus prompting the referee to abandon the game and [[UEFA]] to award the visitors a 3–0 win. Red Star's fairy-tale campaign continued in Germany as they claimed a 2–1 first-leg win over [[F.C. Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] at [[Olympiastadion (Munich)|Olympiastadion]], but they almost threw the semi-final away in front of 80,000 fans in Belgrade. Despite opening the scoring in the 24th minute through Mihajlović, Bayern struck twice in the space of six second-half minutes and continued to lay siege to Red Star's goal in search of a winner. However, with Stojanović standing firm, the home side were able to seal their passage into the final thanks to an own goal from [[Klaus Augenthaler]] in the 90th minute of the game. Marseille awaited in the [[1991 European Cup Final|tournament decider]] in [[Bari]]. In a twist of fate that once again favoured Red Star, the [[Yugoslav First League]] that season had settled all drawn games via a penalty shoot-out, so Petrović's side were well-versed in the art of spot-kicks. After Manuel Amoros failed to convert [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]]'s first penalty, Red Star kept their cool and calmly slotted home all of their efforts, with [[Darko Pančev]], fittingly, the man to fire his team to the title they had set out to win four years prior.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/rise-underdog-unfancied-red-star-conquered-europe/pr847ylc6shz1ufpoel8d3av7|title=Rise of the Underdog: How unfancied Red Star conquered Europe|work=[[Goal (website)|Goal UK]]|location=[[Leeds]]|agency=[[DAZN Group]]|last=Thomas|first=Josh|access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref>
* [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]] ([[UEFA Euro 1992|Euro 1992]]) – Denmark won Euro 92, despite having failed to qualify until a technicality vanquished the hopes of Yugoslavia. The [[Yugoslav Wars]] caused the [[United Nations]] to impose [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 757|Resolution 757]] imposed sanctions that would disqualify [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] from international competitions despite having already won each succeeding qualifying tournament match on the way to the finals. Denmark would replace Yugoslavia in the tournament and eventually would successfully contest the reigning title holders, [[Germany national football team|Germany]] to win the title, 2–0.<ref name="Turner Sports"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/2013/12/02/the-danish-fairy-tale/ |title=The Danish Fairy Tale |last1=Kadiyala |first1=Vishnu |date=2 December 2013 |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref>
* [[Greece national football team|Greece]] ([[UEFA Euro 2004|Euro 2004]]) – Greece were the second-least favorite to win the 16-team competition, with only [[Latvia national football team|Latvia]] (who made their first appearance in a major tournament) being considered even less likely. Greece was given odds of 150–1 of winning before the tournament. They were drawn in [[UEFA Euro 2004 Group A|Group A]] with [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]], hosts and favourites to win, [[Spain national football team|Spain]], former [[1964 European Nations' Cup|European champions]], and [[Russia national football team|Russia]], who won the [[1960 European Nations' Cup|first-ever Euros]] as the [[Soviet Union national football team|Soviet Union]]. Very few people expected Greece to progress to the quarter-finals, let alone win the tournament. Greece won the final 1–0 (the same scoreline as in their quarter-final, eliminating holders [[France national football team|France]], and semi-final), with [[Angelos Charisteas]] scoring the winning goal over in the 57th minute to defeat Portugal in [[Lisbon]], having already beaten them in [[Porto]] on the opening day. While the dedication of the side and the victory were celebrated by their nation, Greece were dubbed by [[Barry Glendenning]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' as "the only underdogs in history that everyone wants to see get beaten", due to Greece's rough defensive strategy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Portugal 0–1 Greece |first=Barry |last=Glendenning |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/jul/04/minutebyminute.sport |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=5 July 2004 |access-date=24 May 2012}}</ref>
* [[FC Porto]] ([[2003–04 UEFA Champions League]]) – A year after winning the UEFA Cup in [[2003 UEFA Cup Final|2003]], [[José Mourinho]]'s team entered the competition as the [[Primeira Liga|Portuguese]] league champions facing title favourites, [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]], [[Partizan Belgrade]] and the French participant [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] in group F. After finishing second in the group, they managed to win 2–1 at home in the first leg of the round of 16 against the [[Premier League]] champions Manchester United, and followed with [[Costinha]]'s game-winning goal in the [[stoppage time]] to pull off the upset in the second leg at Old Trafford after being 1–0 down and tied on aggregate. Their miraculous run continued as they beat [[French Football Association|French]] champions [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]] in the quarter-final and the [[Spanish Football Association|Spanish]] side [[Deportivo La Coruña]] in the semi-final. In the [[2004 UEFA Champions League Final|2004 UEFA Champions League final]], they faced [[A.S. Monaco|Monaco]] at [[AufSchalke Arena]] where they, despite being labelled as the [[Underdog (competition)|underdogs]], won 3–0 with the goals from [[Deco]], [[Carlos Alberto de Jesus|Carlos Alberto]] and [[Dmitri Alenichev]]. The Portuguese side stood victorious into the European summit by winning the second European title since [[1987 European Cup Final|1987]], and after the final, he decided to manage [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] a season later. Porto's European win became the first team to win the European Cup outside of teams from Spain, England, Italy and Germany since Marseille won in [[1993 UEFA Champions League Final|1993]] as the first title under the Champions League era, [[Red Star Belgrade]] in [[1991 European Cup Final|1991]] and [[CSA Steaua București (football)|Steaua Bucharest]] in [[1986 European Cup Final|1986]].
* [[Liverpool F.C.]] ([[2004–05 UEFA Champions League]]) – After finishing fourth the [[2003–04 Premier League|previous season]], newly-appointed manager [[Rafael Benítez]]'s squad needed to get through past the [[Austrian Football Association|Austrian]] side, [[Grazer AK]] in the fourth qualifying round in order to advance to the group stage, they won the first leg in [[Graz]] on the road 2–0 thanks to [[Steven Gerrard|Gerrard]]'s goals despite losing in the second leg at [[Anfield|home]] to progress to the competition proper. They were then drawn against [[AS Monaco]], [[Deportivo La Coruña]] and [[Olympiacos]] in the group stage. It was a rocky start in the group stage despite winning the first match at home against Monaco, 2–0, but they lost to Olympiacos on the road and drew against Deportivo at home where they won the reverse fixture in matchday 4 at [[Estadio Riazor|Riazor]] thanks to the Depor defender's own goal to keep their hopes to the knockout stage alive. Their attempt stoppedwith a defeat to Monaco away in the fifth week. On the brink of elimination, Liverpool needed to win at home against Olympiacos on the final day of the group stage by widening their [[goal difference]]. However, [[Rivaldo]] scored a [[free kick]] to make it 1–0, putting Liverpool in danger. As half-time ended, [[Florent Sinama-Pongolle]] levelled things up, 1–1 in the 47th minute and [[Neil Mellor]] extended their lead at the 81st minute but the two-goal cushion would not be enough to progress. Steven Gerrard came in by scoring the game-winning volley in the 86th minute to send them to the knockout stage. During the round of 16 against the [[2002 UEFA Champions League Final|2002 finalists]], [[Bayer Leverkusen]] where Liverpool won the first leg at home, 3–1 and on the [[BayArena|road]] in the second leg to get through to the quarter-finals against [[Juventus F.C.|Juventus]]. This was the first meeting between the two clubs since the [[1985 European Cup final]] and the [[Heysel Stadium disaster]]. They won the first leg at home 2–1, and drew without goals scored in [[Turin]] in the second leg. The Reds then progressed to the semi-final against the eventual [[List of English football champions|English champions]], Chelsea to open another chapter of the exciting rivalry. The Reds drew on the road at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]] in [[West London]] at the first leg of the semi-final and then returned to Anfield for the final leg where Luís García scored the ghost goal four minutes after kick-off towards [[Petr Čech]]'s net to progress to their first European Cup final since 1985, this time against [[Carlo Ancelotti]] and [[AC Milan]] in [[Istanbul]]. In the [[2005 UEFA Champions League Final|2005 European Cup final]], the Reds went on have a bad start in the final after being down 3–0 thanks to [[Paolo Maldini]]'s early goal and two goals from [[Hernán Crespo]] before half-time. then Rafael Benítez came up with a plan. As the second half started, Gerrard raised the morale for the Reds by cutting their deficit by two and then [[Vladimír Šmicer]] followed to make it 2–1. Minutes later, [[Gennaro Gattuso|Gattuso]] brought Milan Baroš down to signal a [[Penalty (association football)|penalty]] for Liverpool. [[Xabi Alonso]] failed to convert the penalty but followed in towards [[Dida (footballer, born 1973)|Dida]]'s net to pull off the huge comeback by tying the game at 3 and force the final into extra time. However, both teams did not score at the [[Overtime (sports)|extra time]] and the final had to be decided by a [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-out]]. In the shoot-out, Serginho shot wide towards the Dudek net and Dietmar Hamann scored the first goal as the ball went towards the Dida net as [[Andrea Pirlo|Pirlo]] failed to tie the shootout where [[Kaká]] and Tomasson scored two goals for Milan and then, Šmicer scored the championship-winning goal for Liverpool. Moments later, when Liverpool led 3–2 on penalties, [[Andriy Shevchenko]], whose penalty won the title in [[2003 UEFA Champions League Final|2003]] for AC Milan, failed to convert from the spot as the Reds finally won the fifth Champions League title for the first time in 21 years after pulling the biggest comeback since the [[1999 UEFA Champions League Final|1999]] final in [[Barcelona]], where Manchester United brought the first treble to the English soil by beating Bayern Munich. The match was called "the Miracle of Istanbul" for the media due to Liverpool's huge comeback as Gerrard raised the European Cup trophy. Liverpool are the only English side to own the actual [[European Champion Clubs' Cup|Champions League trophy]] permanently before [[UEFA]] brought replaced it with a full-sized replica [[2005-06 UEFA Champions League|a season later]].
* [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]] ([[2007 AFC Asian Cup]]) – Devastated from the ongoing [[Iraq War|war within the country]]. The Iraqi national team have to play the qualifier matches in the [[United Arab Emirates]]. Iraq qualified to the final group round and reached the knockout stage after an upset 3–1 victory against [[Australia national football team|Australia]]. After defeating [[Vietnam national football team|Vietnam]] in quarterfinals, Iraq won 4–3 against tournament favourites [[South Korea national football team|South Korea]] in a penalty shootout, resulting in thousands of Iraqis celebrating in the streets of Baghdad. Over 50 Iraqis were killed by terrorist bombs targeting these crowds.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6916230.stm "Iraq bombs strike football fans"]''[[BBC News]]'', 25 July 2007</ref> Iraq's 1–0 victory against [[Saudi Arabia national football team|Saudi Arabia]] in finale secured them their first – and only – Asian Cup title to date.<ref>{{cite web|title=Football's Greatest Ever Underdog Story|website = [[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG1Z2S6dGus |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/DG1Z2S6dGus |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* [[Montpellier HSC]] ([[2011–12 Ligue 1]]) – On 20 May 2012, at the final day of the season, [[Paris Saint-Germain]] needed three points to secure their first French title as they visited [[FC Lorient|Lorient]] on the road but [[Carlo Ancelotti]]'s side won 2–1 as they await for the results between [[AJ Auxerre]] and Montpellier. Fortunately for the [[Hérault]] side, they won on the road 2–1 to clinch their first French title in the club's history after finishing 14th last season and qualify for the next season's [[UEFA Champions League]].
* [[Chelsea F.C.]] ([[2011–12 UEFA Champions League]]) – In the [[2010–11 Premier League|previous season]], Chelsea qualified for the competition as the second-placed team in the [[Premier League]]. Despite the team's smooth performance in the group stage with three wins, two draws and one loss, things went sour as [[Andre Villas-Boas]] was sacked after losing to [[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]] in the first leg of the round of 16 and the caretaker, [[Roberto di Matteo]], came up with a plan on how to win the entire tie and the second leg at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]]. Just at the end of the regulation, [[Frank Lampard]] forced the tie to the extra time by a penalty as [[Branislav Ivanović]] scored the winning-goal to send his side to the quarter-final against [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] where they would move on to the next round with a 3–1 aggregate. Despite winning the first leg of the semi-final at home, Chelsea were on the brink of elimination after being down 2–0 at the first half at second leg in [[Camp Nou]] until [[Fernando Torres]] scored the winning goal to send to the Champions League final in Munich. In the [[2012 UEFA Champions League Final|UEFA Champions League final]], Chelsea's opponents were Bayern Munich. By coincidence, the match was being held at the [[Allianz Arena]], Bayern's home ground. Bayern took the lead after 83 minutes through [[Thomas Müller]], but five minutes later, [[Didier Drogba]] headed in the equaliser – his ninth goal in nine cup finals for Chelsea – to take the game to extra time. Bayern were awarded a penalty, but [[Arjen Robben]]'s strike was saved by [[Petr Čech]]. The game remained 1–1, meaning it went to a penalty shootout. Bayern took a 3–1 lead after [[Juan Mata]] saw his penalty saved, but Čech then saved [[Ivica Olić]] and [[Bastian Schweinsteiger]]'s efforts, leaving Drogba to score the decisive spot-kick to clinch Chelsea's first Champions League title in their history.<ref>{{cite news
|date=2012-05-19
|title=Bayern Munich 1–1 Chelsea
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18044385
|work=[[BBC Sport]]
|access-date=2012-06-03}}</ref> In 2013, the [[International Federation of Football History & Statistics]] (IFFHS) ranked Chelsea the number one team in the world, replacing Barcelona at the top of the world rankings.<ref>{{cite news |title=Club World Rankings – Top 400 |url=http://www.iffhs.de/?10f42e00fa2d17f73702fa3016e23c17f7370eff3702bb1c2bbb6f28f53512 |work=IFFHS |date=28 February 2013 |access-date=28 February 2013 }}</ref> Chelsea became the first team from [[London]] to lift the [[European Cup]] since the [[The Football Association|English]] teams entered the competition in [[1956-57 European Cup|1956]].
* [[Club Tijuana]] ([[2012–13 Liga MX season#Torneo Apertura|Apertura 2012]]) – In their second season in the Mexican First Division. ''Xolos'' obtained their first league title and qualified for [[2013 Copa Libertadores]].
* [[Western Sydney Wanderers]] ([[2012–13 A-League]]) and ([[2014 AFC Champions League]]) – In their first season of the Australian A-League, the Wanderers secured the Premiership with a 3–0 win over the [[Newcastle Jets]]. This qualified them for the Asian Champions League, where next year they topped their group, and proceeded to defeat vastly more experienced and resourced clubs, including previous winners [[Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao F.C.]], runners up [[FC Seoul]] and multi-time champions [[Al-Hilal FC]], whom the Wanderers defeated 1–0 in the final. The Wanderers became the first Australian team to win the competition.
* [[Leicester City F.C.]] ([[2015–16 Premier League]]) – The story started when the bookmakers rated Leicester 5,000-1 odds to win the [[Premier League]] after the sacking of [[Nigel Pearson]]. Pearson was not able to build on his success, however, as he was sacked following a controversial pre-season incident involving a number of players including his own son, James, in Thailand, with experienced tactician [[Claudio Ranieri]] parachuted into the job. Ranieri had previously managed clubs such as Chelsea, Juventus, [[F.C. Internazionale|Inter]], [[Atlético Madrid]] and [[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]], but had failed to win a first division title in his previous 19 years of management. His most recent job before arriving at the [[King Power Stadium]] had been with the [[Greece national football team|Greece national team]], though he was sacked midway through their Euro 2016 qualification campaign having overseen a terrible run of results that included a humiliating defeat to the Faroe Islands. His appointment at Leicester was viewed by many onlookers with scepticism, including former England and Foxes striker [[Gary Lineker]], who believed Ranieri had used up all his chances coaching at the highest level. Despite Leicester's hot finish to the previous season, Ranieri inherited a squad that looked devoid of attacking talent. Their top scorer in the league had been journeyman Argentine striker [[Leonardo Ulloa]] with 11 goals, while his sidekick Vardy found the back of the net on only five occasions in 34 Premier League matches. The Foxes' main winger [[Riyad Mahrez]] only contributed four goals and three assists while midfield playmaker [[Danny Drinkwater]] was in and out of the first team. In a bid to improve their squad to avoid another relegation battle, Leicester spent just short of £30 million on 10 players, including midfielder [[N'Golo Kanté]] from French side [[Stade Malherbe Caen|Caen]], [[Stoke City]] defender [[Robert Huth]] and Japanese striker [[Shinji Okazaki]], while experienced Austrian full-back [[Christian Fuchs]] arrived on a free from [[Schalke 04|Schalke]]. On the face of it, the new arrivals offered as much inspiration as Ranieri's appointment, and as such many felt Leicester were in for another tough season, with avoiding relegation seemingly their only target. Using an unfashionable 4-4-2 formation, Ranieri set his system up to be defensively solid, with skipper [[Wes Morgan]] partnering Huth in a highly-physical centre-half partnership. It quickly emerged that new signing Kanté, who made his debut playing on the left wing against [[Bournemouth A.F.C.|Bournemouth]] in August, was an excellent ball-winning midfielder, with his ability to intercept the ball regularly underpinned by his play-reading qualities. Drinkwater, meanwhile, worked hard in the engine room, with an expectation on the former Manchester United trainee to regularly play passes over the top of the opposition defence into space. Almost overnight, Mahrez made the jump from inconsistent enigma to a world-class winger, with exceptional dribbling, finishing, movement and creative play. Vardy, meanwhile, was employed as the main man up front alongside either Okazaki or Ulloa, with the pacy English striker able to sit on the shoulder of defenders and consistently put them under pressure with his intense pressing while constantly looking to get in behind using his speed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.goal.com/en-ie/news/rise-underdog-leicester-premier-league-title/14zwsuy7ndn6a1mbiae5no2r2e|title=Rise of the Underdog: Leicester turn the Premier League on its head|last=Francis|first=Kieran|work=[[Goal (website)|Goal]]|date=24 April 2020}}</ref> The Foxes began the season unbeaten in August with 3 wins and 3 matches drawn but their record missed by [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], 5–2 in their first meeting of the season at home in September. During October and November, Leicester regained their unbeaten record where they faced against Manchester United at home, [[Jamie Vardy]] scored the historic 11th goal in 11 games to break the previous [[Ruud van Nistelrooy]]'s record after tying it at [[Newcastle United]] on the road, however the another unbeaten attempt ended on the [[Boxing Day]] when [[Jürgen Klopp]]'s Liverpool beat them at [[Anfield]], 1–0. As the calendar turned to the new year with the Foxes being unbeaten in January, Mahrez and Huth scored the three goals against [[Manchester City]] on the [[Etihad Stadium (Manchester)|road]] to extend their gap to six points. In April, the Foxes remained unbeaten in five games. In May, the Foxes beat [[Swansea City]] at home with just three games remaining from claiming their first English title, however [[Anthony Martial]] cancelled Leicester's road party at Old Trafford despite a 1–1 draw as they would need the London derby between Spurs and Chelsea at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]] to finish with a Chelsea win or draw to secure the championship for Leicester City. The match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea ended 2–2, and with just two games to spare, Leicester City became the 2015–16 Premier League champions, the only championship in the history of the club as of far, just two seasons after gaining promotion to the Premier League in which they narrowly avoided relegation on their return. Bookmakers who had rated them at 5,000–1 odds to win the title were forced to pay out £25 million, the biggest loss on a sporting event in British history.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rayner|first1=Gordon|last2=Brown|first2=Oliver|title=Leicester City win Premier League and cost bookies biggest ever payout|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/02/leicester-city-win-premier-league-and-cost-bookies-biggest-ever/|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=3 May 2016|date=2 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nelsongranados/2016/05/03/leicester-city-wins-english-premier-league-and-takes-over-social-media/#4c250b562c20 |title=Leicester City Wins English Premier League And Takes Over Social Media |last1=Granados |first1=Nelson |date=3 May 2016 |work=[[Forbes]] |access-date=4 May 2016 |quote=On Monday, Leicester City was crowned champion of the English Premier League. The biggest Cinderella story in soccer and sports had the happiest of endings, and the social media party has taken off.}}</ref> With Leicester's win, they became the first new winners in the Premier League/First Division era since [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] in [[1977–78 Football League|1978]].
* [[Tai Po FC]] ([[2018–19 Hong Kong Premier League]]) – Tai Po FC secured their first title with a game to spare after a 2–1 win over R&F, which left them 5 points clear at the top of the table. They became the first district team to win a top-flight title since 1963.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
* [[Lille OSC|Lille]] ([[2020–21 Ligue 1]]) – Under the management of [[Christophe Galtier]], Lille won their first Ligue 1 title in ten years, beating defending champions [[Paris Saint-Germain]], who had won seven of the last eight titles, by a single point after a 2–1 win over [[Angers SCO|Angers]] on the last day of the season. This was one of the most unlikely French title wins in history, given that PSG has backing from Qatar Sports Foundation and Lille only narrowly avoided relegation in the [[2017-18 Ligue 1|2017–18 season]].
* [[Chelsea F.C.]] ([[2020–21 UEFA Champions League]]) – Chelsea qualified for the Champions League through a fourth-placed finish in the [[2019–20 Premier League]], just four points ahead of [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]]. They started the competition with a 0–0 home draw against Sevilla, but proceeded to win four straight games to seal top spot in Group E despite [[Frank Lampard]] later sacked after the group stage. In the round of 16, they defeated an Atlético Madrid side who went on to win the [[2020–21 La Liga]], 3–0 on aggregate, on the [[Thomas Tuchel]]'s Champions League managerial return after being sacked from [[Paris Saint-Germain]]. After edging out Porto in the quarter-finals, they faced the record winners Real Madrid in the semi-finals. A 1–1 away draw was followed by a 2–0 home win, which sealed the Blues' progress into the [[2021 UEFA Champions League Final|final]], where they faced the [[2020–21 Premier League]] champions and tournament favourites Manchester City. A goal from [[Kai Havertz]] sealed a 1–0 win as they won their second Champions League title.
* [[Olympique Lyonnais Féminin]] ([[2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League]]) – OL Féminin have been the power of the [[Football in France|French women's football]] for decades, but come unbothered in the European women's football. Lyon qualified for the Women's Champions League as the runners-up in the [[2020–21 Division 1 Féminine|French's top tier]] last season as they would overcome against [[Spanish Football Federation|Spain]]'s [[Levante UD Femenino|Levante]] in the second round of the qualifying by leading 4–2 on an aggregate to progress to the group stage. In the group stage, they stayed undefeated until losing to [[FC Bayern Munich (women)|Bayern Munich]] in matchday 4 on the road and despite this, they progressed to the quarter-finals where they faced against [[Juventus F.C. (women)|Juventus]]. Lyon lost the first leg at the [[Juventus Stadium|2022 final venue on the road]] to Juventus, 2–1 despite commanding a 1–0 lead, and they came back from the death in the second leg at [[Parc Olympique Lyonnais|home]] after [[Catarina Macario|Macario]] scored the tie-winning goal in the 73rd minute to progress to the semi-final against the [[French Football Federation|French]] rival, [[Paris Saint-Germain Féminine|Paris Saint-Germain]]. However, it was not the smooth start to start the semi-final at home after [[Marie-Antoinette Katoto|Katoto]] scored the first goal in the sixth minute and then, Lyon came back to tie at one each and retook the lead by the goal from Macario in the 34th minute to seal the first leg win and then followed by their second leg win in [[Parc des Princes|Paris]], 2–1 to punch their ticket to the [[2022 UEFA Women's Champions League Final|final in Turin]] where they faced against the [[2021 UEFA Women's Champions League Final|2021 European champions]], [[FC Barcelona Femení|Barcelona]] who had a ten-game unbeaten run in the entire competition. During the final, [[Amandine Henry]]'s long range effort in the sixth minute put their unbeaten run in danger, as well as Barça Femení's European title defence; [[Ada Hegerberg]] scored the second goal in the final in the 23rd minute and then Macario scored the championship-winning goal to pull off the huge upset and end Barça Femení's unbeaten run final as the European champions as Lyon won the seventh European title by winning the final, 3–1.
* [[Ventforet Kofu]] ([[2022 Emperor's Cup]]) – Ventforet was playing in its first ever [[Emperor's Cup]] final, as their previous best finish was the quarter-final round. It was also their first elite cup final, as they never advanced past the quarter-finals in the [[J.League Cup]]. Ventforet started in the second round, as a member of J2. They defeated [[International Pacific University]], 5–1, and then J1 side [[Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo]] in the third round, 2–1. In the round of 16, they defeated [[Sagan Tosu]], 3–1, then needed extra time to defeat [[Avispa Fukuoka]] in the quarter-finals, 2–1, before defeating [[J1 League]] powerhouse [[Kashima Antlers]], 1–0. Their run came to an end with an exciting game against [[Sanfrecce Hiroshima]]. After finishing 1–1 in regular time, Ventforet Kofu won 5–4 on penalty shoot-out and qualified for the [[2023–24 AFC Champions League]] group stage.
* [[Wuhan Three Towns F.C.]] ([[2022 Chinese Super League]]) - After two straight promotions, Wuhan Three Towns played in the Chinese Super League for the first time in their history. They remained top of the table from the beginning to the end of the season, and after being awarded a 3–0 win over [[Tianjin Teda F.C.]] on 31 December 2022, they were crowned champions, by goal difference over [[Shandong Taishan F.C.]], and qualified for the [[2023–24 AFC Champions League]] group stage.

===Australian rules football===
* [[Western Bulldogs]] ([[2016 AFL season|2016]]) – After failing to qualify for the finals for four consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2014 and losing their 2015 elimination final to [[Adelaide Football Club|Adelaide]], the Bulldogs finished seventh in the regular season standings with a record of 15–7. After defeating [[West Coast Eagles|West Coast]] and [[Hawthorn Football Club|Hawthorn]] on the road by more than 30 points, they defeated [[Greater Western Sydney Giants|Greater Western Sydney]] (who qualified for the finals for the first time ever) by 6 points to advance to the [[2016 AFL Grand Final|Grand Final]], where they would face the top-seeded [[Sydney Swans]]. In the Grand Final, the Bulldogs defeated the heavily favoured Swans by 21 points after trailing by two points at the end of the second quarter to win their first premiership since [[1954 VFL Grand Final|1954]]. This was the first time in AFL history where a team that was seeded seventh or lower won the premiership.<ref name="guard">{{cite web|last1=Jackson|first1=Russell|title=Western Bulldogs beat Sydney for first AFL premiership in 62 years – as it happened|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2016/oct/01/afl-grand-final-live-blog-sydney-western-bulldogs-mcg|work=The Guardian|access-date=1 October 2016|date=1 October 2016}}</ref>

===Baseball===

====Major League Baseball====
* [[1969 New York Mets season|1969 New York Mets]] – The Mets won their first ever World Series title after defeating the heavily favored 109-win [[1969 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]] in the [[1969 World Series]]; previously, the Mets had finished either last or next-to-last in the [[National League]] every year of their existence.<ref name="2008Rays"/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Collier|first1=Clayton|title=Frank Robinson Still Swears Miracle Mets Scuffed Ball In Game 5 Of 1969 World Series |url=http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/06/exclusive-interview-frank-robinson-still-swears-miracle-mets-scuffed-ball-in-game-5-of-1969-world-series.html/|website=Metsmerizedonline.com|date=June 14, 2013|access-date=February 28, 2014}}</ref>
* [[1997 Florida Marlins season|1997 Florida Marlins]] – After missing the Postseason for every season of their existence, the Marlins finally made the Postseason in 1997 as a Wild Card, posting their first winning season at 92–70. They then beat the Giants in the [[1997 National League Division Series|NLDS]] and the Braves in the [[1997 National League Championship Series|NLCS]], winning their first Pennant in just their 5th season of operation. They then won their first [[1997 World Series|World Series]] against the Indians in 7 games on a walk-off hit in 11 innings and became the first Wild Card team to win the World Series.
* [[2003 Florida Marlins season|2003 Florida Marlins]] – After firing manager [[Jeff Torborg]] and replacing him with [[Jack McKeon]] mid-season, the Marlins used a strong second half to win the [[2003 World Series|World Series]], after defeating the [[2003 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] in the [[2003 National League Division Series|NLDS]], the [[2003 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] in the [[2003 National League Championship Series|NLCS]], and the [[2003 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]].<ref name="Fairy-Tale">{{cite news|last=Brewer|first=Jerry|title=Marlins Stun Yankees for Title; Josh Beckett Pitched a Gem as Florida Completed a Fairy-Tale Run|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|publisher=Tribune Publishing|location=Orlando|date=October 26, 2003|page=A1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Happy ending to fish tale; Beckett ices Yanks with 5-hit shutout|date=October 26, 2003|first=Teddy|last=Greenstein|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|location=Chicago|page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=King Fish; Beckett Blanks Yanks, Cinderella Marlins Stun New York in World Series, 4–2|date=October 26, 2003|first=Dave|last=Sheinin|newspaper=The Washington Post|location=New York|page=E1}}</ref> The NL Championship Series was especially memorable for the Marlins' rally and another Cubs collapse, as it extended the alleged [[Curse of the Billy Goat]], and made it 95 consecutive years without a World Series victory for Chicago until [[2016 World Series|winning it all in 2016]] to break the curse despite the team was not considered as the underdog either due to the better regular season record with 103 wins racking.
* [[2004 Boston Red Sox season|2004 Boston Red Sox]] – The 2004 Red Sox ended an [[Curse of the Bambino|86-year World Series drought]] by winning eight straight games to come back from a 3−0 [[2004 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] deficit against their rival [[2004 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]]. While most Cinderella teams come from relative obscurity to win a championship, the 2004 Red Sox won 98 regular season games and were a dominant team throughout the 2004 regular season. They did, however, defeat a [[2004 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] team which won 101 games, along with sweeping the [[2004 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]], who won a league-best 105 regular season games. However, their Cinderella status was established after becoming the first Major League Baseball team to overcome a 3 games to 0 series deficit in a 7-game series and only the third team in Major American professional sports to achieve such a feat.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greatest best-of-7 comeback ever |url=http://www.whowins.com/features/comeback.html |work=whowins.com |publisher=WhoWins |access-date=18 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Shaughnessy |first=Dan |date=6 April 2006 |title=Reversing the Curse: Inside the 2004 Boston Red Sox |url=https://archive.org/details/reversingcursein00shau |url-access=registration |quote=2004 boston red sox cinderella. |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |isbn=9780547346939 |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref>
* [[2006 St. Louis Cardinals season|2006 St. Louis Cardinals]] – The 2006 Cardinals began their season strongly, leading their division with a 31–16 record by late May, but suffered a mid-season slump due to injuries, two eight-game losing streaks, a seven-game losing streak, losing months in June, August and September, and by August 24, they were considered unlikely to make the playoffs with a mediocre record of 66–60.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Birenbaum |first=Jonah |title=The 2006 Cardinals had no business winning it all, but they did |url=https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/1972066 |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=theScore.com |language=en}}</ref> However, the Cardinals made the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons by clinching a weak [[National League Central]] with an 83–78 record, the worst of any playoff team, ahead of the second-place [[Houston Astros]] by 1½ games.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-10-02 |title=St. Louis Cardinals 2006 NL Central Champions |pages=15 |work=The Paducah Sun |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33494939/st-louis-cardinals-2006-nl-central/ |access-date=2022-03-19}}</ref> Once the playoffs began, they surprised baseball fans everywhere by beating the [[San Diego Padres]] in the four-game [[2006 National League Division Series|Division Series]], beating the [[New York Mets]] in the seven-game [[2006 National League Championship Series|NLCS]], and beating the [[Detroit Tigers]] in the [[2006 World Series]] 4–1, winning the tenth, and probably most unlikely, World Series championship in franchise history.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miklasz |first=Bernie |title=Redbird Reset: The Cardinals are playoff underdogs, but let's not forget they thrived in that role in 2006 and '11 |url=https://theathletic.com/1255788/2019/09/30/redbird-reset-cardinals-are-playoff-underdogs-but-they-thrived-in-that-role-in-2006-and-11/ |access-date=2022-03-19 |work=[[The Athletic]]|location=[[San Francisco]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |date=2006-10-28 |title=Cardinals Paint Crown Red |language=en-US |newspaper=The New York Times|location=St. Louis |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/28/sports/baseball/28series.html |access-date=2022-03-19 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Their .516 winning percentage is the worst ever for a World Series champion.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="LaRussa">{{cite news |last=Sheinin |first=Dave |date=October 29, 2006 |title=La Russa Gets Number He Wants |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|location=St. Louis |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/28/AR2006102800905_pf.html}}</ref>
* [[2011 St. Louis Cardinals season|2011 St. Louis Cardinals]] – Like 2006, the 2011 Cardinals began their season strongly, leading their division throughout much of April and May, but suffered a mid-season slump, and by August 24, they were considered unlikely to make the playoffs<ref>{{Cite web |title=MLB Playoff Odds - coolstandings.com |url=http://www.coolstandings.com/baseball_standings.asp?col=&sort=&sim=s&v=d&sn=2011&run=24377 |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Coolstandings.com}}</ref> with a mediocre record of 67–63, ten games behind the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] in the NL Central standings, and in third place for the wild card, 10½ games behind the [[Atlanta Braves]]. However, the Cardinals won 23 of their last 32 games, clinching the wild card on the last day of the regular season after the Braves collapsed. The Cardinals defeated the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], the Milwaukee Brewers, and the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] in the [[2011 National League Division Series|NLDS]], [[2011 National League Championship Series|NLCS]], and [[2011 World Series|World Series]], respectively, despite being the underdog in all three series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oddsshark.com/mlb/mlb-game-preview---cardinals-underdogs-vs-phillies-at-st-louis-october-04-2011|title=MLB Odds: Phillies vs. Cardinals &#124; Odds Shark|website=Oddsshark.com|access-date=10 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oddsshark.com/mlb/milwaukee-favored-by--145-against-st-louis-on-sunday-october-09-2011|title = MLB Odds: Cards vs. Brewers|website=Oddsshark.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2011/10/17/2496081/2011-world-series-odds-rangers-cardinals|title=2011 World Series Odds: Rangers the Favorites, Cardinals the Underdogs|last=Sullivan|first=Jeff|work=SB Nation|publisher=Vox Media|location=St. Louis|date=17 October 2011}}</ref> On September 12, when the Cardinals were still 4½ games behind in the wild card race with 15 games to play, an unidentified man bet $250 on them to win the National League championship at 500-to-1 odds, and another $250 on them to win the World Series at 999-to-1 odds. Both bets paid off, and the man won $375,000.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/bettor-with-perfect-timing-got-cardinals-at-999-1-to-win-world-series/article_f2616efa-fe7a-11e0-b131-0019bb30f31a.html|title=Bettor with 'perfect timing' got Cardinals at 999/1 to win World Series|first=Todd|last=Frankel|newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]|location=[[St. Louis]]|publisher=[[Hearst Communications]]|access-date=10 June 2022}}</ref>
* [[2019 Washington Nationals season|2019 Washington Nationals]] – The Nationals had experienced many years of playoff failure despite talented teams, losing in the first round of the postseason in the [[2012 National League Division Series|2012]], [[2014 National League Division Series|2014]], [[2016 National League Division Series|2016]] and [[2017 National League Division Series|2017]] seasons. After losing star outfielder [[Bryce Harper]] in free agency to one of their division rivals, the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], Washington was largely expected to miss the playoffs in 2019, with some experts having them finishing 4th in the NL East behind the [[2019 New York Mets season|New York Mets]], in addition to the favored [[2019 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] and [[2019 Philadelphia Phillies season|Phillies]]. Washington overcame a 19–31 start to obtain a wild card berth thanks to a 74–38 finish. In the [[2019 National League Wild Card Game|NL Wild Card Game]], the team rallied from being down 3–1 in the 8th inning against the [[2019 Milwaukee Brewers season|Milwaukee Brewers]] and star closer [[Josh Hader]], overcame a 2–1 [[2019 National League Division Series|NLDS]] deficit against the 106-win [[2019 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]], winning the series on an extra-innings grand slam by [[Howie Kendrick]] after back to back solo shots by star players [[Anthony Rendon]] and [[Juan Soto]] tied the game when the team was down to its final 6 outs in the 8th inning. After sweeping the [[2019 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]] in the [[2019 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] to win the first NL pennant in franchise history, the team trailed the MLB-best 107–55 [[2019 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]], a team many experts considered to be the greatest of all time, 3 games to 2 in the [[2019 World Series|World Series]], with the final 2 games in Houston. After winning Game 6, the Nationals trailed 2–0 in the 7th inning of Game 7 when home runs by Rendon and Kendrick gave Washington the lead, as they would go on to beat Houston 6–2 to win Game 7 and the first World Series in franchise history, completing one of the biggest upset runs in modern sports history. The [[2019 World Series]] was the first and only time in all four major North American sports which involved the road team winning all seven games of a single postseason series.
* [[2021 Atlanta Braves season|2021 Atlanta Braves]] – The Braves became only the second team in MLB history, and the first team since the [[1964 St. Louis Cardinals season|1964 St. Louis Cardinals]] to clinch a [[2021 World Series|World Series]] title despite having a losing record at the All-Star break, and they also became the fourth team to reach the World Series, despite that losing record. Before August 6, the Braves had never secured a record above .500. They started off the postseason in style by defeating the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] 3−1, then they proceeded to upset the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] 4−2, in a rematch of the previous year's National League Championship Series (where they blow a 3−1 lead and lost). The Braves faced the [[Houston Astros]] in the [[2021 World Series|World Series]], where they ultimately clinched the title after a 7−0 shutout in Game 6, to give Atlanta its first major sports championship since [[1995 World Series|1995]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kram |first=Zach |date=2021-11-03 |title=Atlanta Used One Trick to Win a Shocking World Series Title |url=https://www.theringer.com/2021/11/3/22760721/atlanta-braves-world-series-champions-game-six-houston-astros |access-date=2022-03-19 |work=The Ringer |publisher=[[Spotify]] AB|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tolbert |first=Stephen |date=2021-10-25 |title=This Braves team is not an 88-win team |url=https://www.batterypower.com/2021/10/25/22744292/2021-world-series-atlanta-braves-regular-season-record-does-not-matter |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Battery Power |language=en}}</ref>

====College====
* [[2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team|Fresno State]] ([[2008 College World Series|2008]]) – In one of the more improbable Cinderella stories in American sports history, the Bulldogs surmounted a daunting array of obstacles on their way to the NCAA title.<ref name="Fresno obstacles">{{cite web|url=http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3457469&searchName=ncaa_baseball&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d3457469%26searchName%3dncaa_baseball |title=Fresno State reaches historic postseason heights |work=ESPN|date=2008-06-23 |access-date=2008-06-25}}</ref><ref name="Fresno title game">{{cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/baseball/recap?gameId=2817700611 |title=Fresno State shocks Georgia for first CWS championship |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN.com |date=2008-06-25 |access-date=2008-06-25}}</ref> Fresno State had never won an NCAA championship in any men's sport going into the 2008 tournament. The Bulldogs entered the [[Western Athletic Conference]] tournament at 33–27; they would likely not have made the NCAA tournament without winning the WAC tournament, which they did. They subsequently played a total of six elimination games in their NCAA tournament run, winning all six. Fresno State ended their magical run by upsetting the heavily favored [[Georgia Bulldogs baseball|Georgia Bulldogs]] in the championship series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2008/06/26/fresno-state-writes-happy-ending-to-cinderella-story/ |title=Fresno State Writes Happy Ending to Cinderella Story |last1=Fry |first1=Jason |date=26 Jun 2008 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref>
* [[2015 Virginia Cavaliers baseball team|Virginia]] (2015) – After struggling to an even 15–15 record in [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC) play and going 1–3 in the ACC Baseball Tournament, Virginia surprisingly won their first NCAA baseball title in school history. The Cavaliers capped off their championship run by defeating Vanderbilt in three games in the College World Series final, thereby avenging their loss to the Commodores in last year's CWS championship series.
* [[2022 Ole Miss Rebels baseball team|Ole Miss]] ([[2022 College World Series|2022]]) – The Rebels, who were ranked #1 throughout the latter half of March, stumbled to a 7–14 record in [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) play before settling with a 14–16 mark in the conference. They were then eliminated in the first round of the SEC Baseball Tournament, but Ole Miss entered the NCAA Tournament as the last at-large team selected. Unexpectedly, the Rebels won their first ever NCAA baseball national championship, going on an impressive 10–1 run in the tourney.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/national-champs-ole-miss-beats-014413382.html |title=National champs! Ole Miss beats Oklahoma, wins first College World Series title after remarkable turnaround |last1=Suss |first1=Nick |date=26 Jun 2022 |newspaper=[[Mississippi Clarion Ledger]]|location=[[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]]|publisher=[[Gannett]] |via=[[Yahoo! Sports]]|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref>

====Nippon Professional Baseball====
* [[Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters]] ([[2006 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2006]]) – The Fighters constantly finished dead last or near the bottom in the Pacific League standings, with their best finish coming in their first season in Hokkaido, 66-65-2, for a 3rd seed, but lost to the [[Saitama Seibu Lions|Seibu Lions]] in the first stage of the Climax Series, 2–1. In 2006, the Fighters finished first unexpectedly, going 82–54, one of the last NPB seasons by a team to not end with any ties. They faced off against the newly renamed [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] in the second stage, and swept them 2–0, while the Fighters had a 1-game advantage. Led by [[Yu Darvish]], an ace with an almost unlimited pitching arsenal, the Fighters defeated the heavily favored [[Chunichi Dragons]] in the [[2006 Japan Series]], 4–1, for their first Japan Series title since [[1962 Japan Series|1962]] which was under [[Toei Company|Toei]]. They eventually advanced to the [[2006 Asia Series]], where they went 3–0 in the round robin, then defeated the [[Rakuten Monkeys|La New Bears]] in the championship, 1–0.
* [[Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles]] ([[2013 NPB season|2013]]) – As an expansion team that was added to the [[Pacific League]] to replace the [[Orix BlueWave]] (which merged with the [[Orix Buffaloes]] before the 2005 season), the Golden Eagles played relatively poorly during their first seven seasons in the league; they advanced to the [[Climax Series]] in 2009, marking their only playoff appearance during that time. The city of Sendai and the team's home stadium was affected by the [[2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami]], which was the most powerful earthquake to ever hit Japan. The team unexpectedly played well during the 2013 season, which happened two years after the earthquake disaster. [[Masahiro Tanaka]] registered a 24–0 regular season record, sending the Golden Eagles to a first-place finish in the Pacific League and a Climax Series matchup with the [[Chiba Lotte Marines]]. Tohoku, who entered the series with a 1–0 series lead, defeated Chiba in five games to advance to the [[2013 Japan Series]], where they would face the heavily favored Central League champion [[Yomiuri Giants]]. In the Japan Series, the Eagles defeated the Giants in seven games to win their first championship title.<ref name="JT G7">{{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/11/03/baseball/eagles-blank-giants-in-game-7-capture-first-japan-series-title/|title=Eagles blank Giants in Game 7, capture first Japan Series title|access-date=November 3, 2013|work=[[The Japan Times]]|author=Coskrey, Jason|date=November 3, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Tokyo Yakult Swallows]] ([[2021 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2021]]) – Entering 2021 with low expectations as they finished in last place in Central League three times in a row up to that point, the Swallows really played well in 2021, going 73-52-18, also the best record in NPB that season. They have been rebuilding for years, and it seems their parts started to finally click. This allowed them to book a ticket to the Climax Series to set a date with their crosstown rival Yomiuri Giants. Led by foreign closer [[Scott McGough]], superstar infielders [[Munetaka Murakami]] and [[Tetsuto Yamada]], and two 200 hit season outfielder [[Nori Aoki]], the Swallows sent the Giants home with a 3–0 series sweep, including a tie in the 3rd game that allowed Yakult to advance with a better record. The run ended with a 4-2 [[2021 Japan Series|Japan Series]] win over the [[Orix Buffaloes]], which included an almost tie game in Game 6 in which if Orix won the following game if it were to tie, would force the first Game 8 since the [[1986 Japan Series]].

===Basketball===

====National Basketball Association====
* [[1968–69 Boston Celtics season|1968–69 Boston Celtics]] – The Boston Celtics were coming off a championship against [[Jerry West]], [[Elgin Baylor]] and the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] and superstar center [[Bill Russell]] was heading into what would be his final year. The aging Celtics had won 10 of the previous 12 NBA Championships, but with offensive powerhouse [[Wilt Chamberlain]] joining the already powerful Lakers, it appeared as if the Celtics, who were practically limping into the [[1969 NBA Finals|finals]], would easily be taken care of. The Celtics fell into a quick 2 games to none deficit (followed by a 3 games to 2 deficit) but came back to force a Game 7 in Los Angeles, with Bill Russell calmly stating "One thing the Lakers cannot do, is beat us". With the [[1968–69 Los Angeles Lakers season|Lakers]] preparing balloons and confetti for "when, not if, they win", the Celtics took inspiration from their arrogance and went on to win it with a key circus basket by [[Don Nelson]] that bounced high from the back of the rim before sailing through the net. The win sent Russell and fellow hall of famer [[Sam Jones (basketball, born 1933)|Sam Jones]] to retirement as champions, with Russell winning his 11th championship and Jones his tenth.<ref name="NESN Top 10 Cinderellas" />
* [[1994–95 Houston Rockets season|1994–95 Houston Rockets]] – The Rockets were the sixth seeded team in the [[1995 NBA playoffs|1995 playoffs]], yet managed to become the champions for the second straight year in the [[1995 NBA Finals]] by sweeping [[Shaquille O'Neal]] and the [[1994–95 Orlando Magic season|Orlando Magic]], setting playoff records for most games won on the road as well as upsetting three 60-win teams in dramatic fashion en route to defending their championship.<ref name="NESN Top 10 Cinderellas">{{cite web |url=http://media.nesn.com/2011/05/2011-memphis-grizzlies-vault-onto-list-of-top-10-cinderellas-in-nba-history |title=Top 10 Cinderella Runs in NBA Playoff History Include 2011 Memphis Grizzlies, 1969 Boston Celtics |date=2 May 2011 |website=NESN.com |access-date=28 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301082052/http://media.nesn.com/2011/05/2011-memphis-grizzlies-vault-onto-list-of-top-10-cinderellas-in-nba-history/ |archive-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[1998–99 San Antonio Spurs season|1998–99 San Antonio Spurs]] – Due to a [[1998-99 NBA lockout|lockout]] that shortened the NBA's schedule to 50 from the usual 82 games, the Spurs didn't start their season until February 1999. Predicted by many as the worst team during the first half of the season, they began the season slow at 6–8 but had finished the regular season with a win–loss record of 37–13 (a winning percentage of {{winpct|37|13}}) and secured the top seed in the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] playoffs. In the [[1999 NBA playoffs|playoffs]], the Spurs defeated the [[1998–99 Minnesota Timberwolves season|Minnesota Timberwolves]] in 4 games, and swept their next two opponents, the [[1998–99 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]] and [[1998–99 Portland Trail Blazers season|Portland Trail Blazers]]. The Spurs then became the first former [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA) team to advance to play in the [[1999 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]], defeating the eighth seeded [[1998–99 New York Knicks season|New York Knicks]] in 5 games to win their first title in franchise history. The Spurs were led by sophomore star [[Tim Duncan]], the top pick in the [[1997 NBA draft|1997 draft]] whom would lead his Spurs to four more titles in the next 15 years. Future [[Golden State Warriors]] coach [[Steve Kerr]] also signed with the Spurs that year as he became one of three players (the others being [[Patrick McCaw]] and [[Frank Saul (basketball)|Frank Saul]]) to win consecutive titles with different teams, and Kerr and Saul are also the only players in the history of the NBA to win 4 straight titles that weren't part of the 1960s [[Boston Celtics]] dynasty.
* [[2003–04 Detroit Pistons season|2003–04 Detroit Pistons]] – The Pistons had just hired [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]] as their new head coach (whom had previously led the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] to a Finals appearance in [[2001 NBA Finals|2001]]) and [[2003 NBA draft|the year before]], drafted [[Darko Milicic]] with the second overall pick that they obtained from the [[Memphis Grizzlies]], but used him as a reserve as he played limited minutes off the bench; he would later be regarded as one of the most infamous busts in the history of the NBA. Finishing the regular season with a win–loss record of 54–28 (a winning percentage of {{winpct|54|28}}) and competing as the third seed in the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]], the Pistons defeated the [[2003–04 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]], [[2003–04 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey Nets]], and [[2003–04 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana Pacers]] in the [[2004 NBA playoffs|playoffs]] to reach the [[2004 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] against the [[2003–04 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]], in which the Pistons defeated the Lakers in 5 games and ended a 14-year championship drought. The Pistons would advance to play in the Finals [[2005 NBA Finals|the next year]] but would lose to the [[2004–05 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio Spurs]] in 7 games. The Pistons also advanced to play in the Eastern Conference Finals for the next 3 years, but lost to the [[2005–06 Miami Heat season|Miami Heat]], [[2006–07 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland Cavaliers]], and [[2007–08 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]] respectively and their 6-season streak of appearing in the Eastern Conference Finals came to an end in the [[2008–09 Detroit Pistons season|2008–09 season]] with a 4-game sweep from the [[2008–09 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cavaliers]] in that year's first round.
* [[2010–11 Dallas Mavericks season|2010–11 Dallas Mavericks]] – After 4 years of playoff disappointments (including their [[2006–07 Dallas Mavericks season|2007 season]] when they were upset by the eighth seeded [[2006–07 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]]), the Mavericks, led by [[Dirk Nowitzki]], finished the regular season with a win–loss record of 57–25 (a winning percentage of {{winpct|57|25}}) and qualified for the [[2011 NBA playoffs|playoffs]] as the third seed in the Western Conference. The Mavericks defeated the [[2010–11 Portland Trail Blazers season|Portland Trail Blazers]], swept the back-to-back defending champion [[2010–11 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]], and then defeated the [[2010–11 Oklahoma City Thunder season|Oklahoma City Thunder]] in five games in the Western Conference finals to reach the [[2011 NBA Finals|Finals]] against the [[2010–11 Miami Heat season|Miami Heat]], whom were led by the [[Big Three (Miami Heat)|superstar trio]] of [[LeBron James]], [[Chris Bosh]], and [[Dwyane Wade]]. With no other All-Stars on the team, the Nowitzki-led Mavericks would defeat the Heat in 6 games, claiming their first title in franchise history. In addition, the Mavericks also defeated five players who have been named [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] at least once in their career; [[Kobe Bryant]] of the Lakers (2008), [[Russell Westbrook]] (2017), [[Kevin Durant]] (2014), and [[James Harden]] (2018) of the Thunder, and LeBron James (2009/2010, 2012/2013).
* [[2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers season|2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers]] – In the summer of 2014, superstar [[LeBron James]] announced to return to his hometown team via free agency to potentially win them a championship, after several postseason disappointments during his first seven seasons in Cleveland. After James and the Cavaliers lost in the [[2015 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] the previous year, the Cavaliers finished the 2016 season with a win–loss record of 57–25 (a winning percentage of {{winpct|57|25}}) and hired assistant [[Tyronn Lue]] as their new head coach. The Cavaliers defeated the [[2015–16 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit Pistons]], the [[2015–16 Atlanta Hawks season|Atlanta Hawks]], and the [[2015–16 Toronto Raptors season|Toronto Raptors]] in the [[2016 NBA playoffs|NBA playoffs]] to advance to play in the [[2016 NBA Finals|Finals]] against the [[2015–16 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] for the second straight year. The Warriors, who had finished with the league's best-ever single season regular season win–loss record of 73–9 (a winning percentage of {{winpct|73|9}}), led the series 3 games to 1. However, the Cavaliers rallied to win the final three games of the series to win their first and only championship in franchise history and ending a [[Cleveland sports curse|52-year championship drought]] dating back to the [[1964 NFL season|1964 NFL title]] won by the [[1964 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]]. This made Cleveland the first team in NBA history to win a championship after overcoming a 3 games to 1 series deficit. The clinching seventh game featured [[The Block (basketball)|an iconic chase-down block by James]] in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
* [[2018–19 Toronto Raptors season|2018–19 Toronto Raptors]] – During the 2018 offseason, after getting swept by the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] in the second round for two years in a row, the Raptors began another year of rebuilding, and in a blockbuster trade, sent their franchise player [[DeMar DeRozan]] to the [[San Antonio Spurs]] in exchange for [[Kawhi Leonard]] and [[Danny Green (basketball)|Danny Green]]. Coming off an injury-plagued season in which he played only 9 games and after listing the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] as his "top" trade destination, Leonard led the Raptors to a 58–24 record (a winning percentage of {{winpct|58|24}}) and a sixth consecutive playoff berth. In the [[2019 NBA playoffs|NBA playoffs]], the Raptors defeated the [[2018–19 Orlando Magic season|Orlando Magic]], the [[2018–19 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia 76ers]] on a Leonard buzzer beater in Game 7, and the top-seeded [[2018–19 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]] to advance to play in the [[2019 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]]. The Raptors then defeated the defending back-to-back champion [[2018–19 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] in six games to win their first championship in franchise history and to end a 26-year Canadian championship drought that dated back to the [[1993 World Series]] title won by [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Toronto Blue Jays]]. Point guard [[Jeremy Lin]] became the first [[Asian-American]] NBA champion, center [[Marc Gasol]], along with his brother [[Pau Gasol|Pau]] of the Bucks became the first pair of brothers to win championships, and [[Patrick McCaw]] became both the first player (since his former Warriors coach [[Steve Kerr]]) to win consecutive titles with different teams, and the first to [[three-peat]] since [[Shaquille O'Neal]] and [[Kobe Bryant]] from [[1999–2000 NBA season|2000]] to the [[2001–02 NBA season|2002 seasons]]. Following the season, Leonard signed with his hometown [[Los Angeles Clippers]] in free agency.

====College====
* [[1982–83 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|North Carolina State University Wolfpack]] (1983) – The Wolfpack defeated the heavily favored "[[Phi Slama Jama]]" [[1982–83 Houston Cougars men's basketball team|Houston Cougars]], led by future hall-of-famers [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] and [[Clyde Drexler]], 54–52 to win the [[1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA men's tournament]] on [[Lorenzo Charles]]' last second dunk.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/15 |title=N.C. State dunks Houston in NCAA final |last1=Weinberg |first1=Rick |website=ESPN.com |date=24 August 2004 |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700018809/NC-State-was-team-of-destiny-in-1983.html?pg=all |title=N.C. State was team of destiny in 1983 |last1=Hollis |first1=Randy |date=23 March 2010 |website=Deseret News |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref>
* [[1984–85 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team|Villanova Wildcats]] (1985) – The eighth-seeded Wildcats (unranked in the final [[AP poll]]) beat defending champion and ten-point-favorite Georgetown, who had already beaten Villanova twice in the regular season. To date, the Wildcat squad remains the only eighth-seed and the lowest overall seed in tournament history to win the championship.
* [[1987-88 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team|Kansas Jayhawks]] (1988) – During the championship season, Kansas started 12–8 and fell out of the rankings. The regular season included losses at [[Allen Fieldhouse]] against Kansas State, Duke, and Oklahoma. Kansas managed to get a six seed and won their first three games of the tournament defeating No. 11 Xavier, No. 14 Murray State, and No. 7 Vanderbilt to reach the Elite Eight. After getting revenge against Kansas State in the Elite Eight, Kansas headed to the Final Four in nearby Kansas City where they defeated Duke to reach the national championship game and defeated Oklahoma 83–79 to win the national championship. Led by senior [[Danny Manning]] and head coach [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]], the team became known as "Danny and the Miracles".
* [[2013-14 UConn Huskies men's basketball team|UConn Huskies]] (2014) – After being banned from postseason play the previous year, the Huskies unexpectedly won the NCAA tournament, becoming the first 7 seed to do so. They beat teams such as Michigan State, Villanova, Kentucky (whom were on a Cinderella run themselves), and 1st-overall seed Florida, and were led by second-year coach [[Kevin Ollie]].

====High school====
In 1937, the basketball team at [[Bellfountain, Oregon#State Champion School|Bellfountain High School]], where twenty-seven students attended, won the Oregon state championship. This included defeating teams from two much larger [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] high schools (each with over 1,000 students<ref>{{cite book
| url = https://digital.osl.state.or.us/islandora/object/osl:57749
| website = digital.osl.state.or.us
| title = History of Education in Portland
| editor1 = Alfred Powers
| editor2 = Howard McKinley Corning
| publisher = [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] Adult Education Project
| at = Oregon State Library {{hyphen}} Digital Collections
| year = 1937
| access-date=2018-04-07
}}{{open access}}</ref>) in the semi-final and final.<ref>{{cite book | last = Blakely | first = Joe R. | title = The Bellfountain Giant Killers : the story of a small Oregon high school and its miraculous championship season | publisher = CraneDance Publications | location = Eugene, Or | year = 2009 | isbn = 978-0982444115 | oclc = 700079749 }}</ref>

====European====
* [[Slovenia men's national basketball team|Slovenia]] ([[EuroBasket 2017]]) – After finishing 12th in the [[EuroBasket 2015]], the Slovenian team, consisted of mostly players from European leagues, with only one player from the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] and led by the team's captain [[Goran Dragić]], won its first-ever [[EuroBasket|European Championship]]. They were drawn in [[EuroBasket 2017 Group A|Group A]] with [[Finland men's national basketball team|Finland]], co-hosts, [[France men's national basketball team|France]], former [[EuroBasket 2013|European champions]], [[Greece men's national basketball team|Greece]], who won two European Championships in [[EuroBasket 1987|1987]] and [[EuroBasket 2005|2005]], [[Iceland men's national basketball team|Iceland]], qualified for the second-straight European Championship, and [[Poland men's national basketball team|Poland]]. Slovenia placed first in its group without a loss and advanced to the round of 16, which they won 79–55 over [[Ukraine men's national basketball team|Ukraine]]. In the quarterfinals, they defeated [[Latvia men's national basketball team|Latvia]] 103–97 and then the defending champion [[Spain men's national basketball team|Spain]], consisted of seven players from the NBA and five from the [[Liga ACB|Spanish league]], 92–72 in the semifinals to advance to their first-ever [[EuroBasket 2017 Final|final]] against [[Serbia men's national basketball team|Serbia]]. Slovenia going undefeated (9–0) in the tournament after defeating Serbia 93–85. Goran Dragić was named the [[FIBA EuroBasket MVP|EuroBasket MVP]]. Despite a 9–0 run to win the EuroBasket 2017, Slovenia failed to qualify for the [[2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup|2019 FIBA World Cup]].

===Boxing===
* Boxer [[James J. Braddock]] was known as "The Cinderella Man". He was world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937.
* [[Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas]] (1990) – The undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion [[Mike Tyson]] lost by knockout to 7th ranked and 42–1 underdog [[Buster Douglas]].<ref>[https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/02/11/douglas-tyson Douglas' knockout of Tyson still resonates 20 years later] – Richard O'Brien, Sports Illustrated, 11 February 2010</ref>

===Canadian football===
* [[1989 Saskatchewan Roughriders season|1989 Saskatchewan Roughriders]] – The Roughriders finished the season with a 9–9 record and made an improbable run to the [[77th Grey Cup]]. The team went into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak, but upset the 10–8 [[Calgary Stampeders]] 33–26 in the West Division Semifinal before upsetting the heavily favoured [[Edmonton Eskimos]] (who finished the season with a 16–2 record) in the West Division Final, 32–21. This victory set up the Grey Cup game against the 12–6 [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]]. [[Dave Ridgway]]'s 26-yard field goal in the final minute gave the Riders a 43–40 victory, along with the franchise's first Grey Cup championship since 1966.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brunt |first=Stephen |date= 2 October 2012 |title=100 Grey Cups: This Is Our Game|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lEy2mo7HFk8C&q=cfl+cinderella+teams&pg=PA135 |publisher=Random House LLC |isbn=9780771017469 |access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref>
* [[2016 Ottawa Redblacks season|2016 Ottawa Redblacks]] – The Redblacks, who had begun play in [[2014 CFL season|2014]], finished the 2016 regular season in first place in the East Division despite having an 8–9–1 record. Due to the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]]'s crossover playoff format, the Redblacks were paired up with the [[2016 Edmonton Eskimos season|Edmonton Eskimos]] in the East Division final; the Eskimos had won the [[103rd Grey Cup]] against the Redblacks one season earlier. In shocking fashion, the Redblacks defeated the Eskimos 35–23 to advance to the [[104th Grey Cup]], where they would face the heavily favoured [[2016 Calgary Stampeders season|Calgary Stampeders]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/game-rule-crossover/|title=How the Crossover Works|access-date=2016-11-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/2016/11/20/redblacks-blow-past-eskimos-in-east-final.html|title=Redblacks blow past Eskimos in East final: Backup running back leads Ottawa to second straight Grey Cup appearance.|last=Ralph|first=Dan|date=2016-11-20|publisher=The Canadian Press|access-date=2016-11-27}}</ref> Ottawa would lead throughout most of the championship game, but Calgary kicker [[Rene Paredes]] kicked a field goal to tie the game at 33–33 with 22 seconds remaining, sending the game into overtime. In the overtime period, Ottawa quarterback [[Henry Burris]] threw a game-winning touchdown pass to [[Ernest Jackson (gridiron football)|Ernest Jackson]] to take a 39–33 lead; Calgary quarterback [[Bo Levi Mitchell]] threw three consecutive incomplete passes to end the game, which would result in the Redblacks winning their first championship title, therefore ending a 40-year championship drought for a major league sports franchise from the city of Ottawa.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/grey-cup-stampeders-redblacks-1.3870182|title=Redblacks pull off huge upset to win 104th Grey Cup in OT|last=Ralph|first=Dan|date=2016-11-27|publisher=The Canadian Press|access-date=2016-11-27}}</ref>

===Curling===
* Italy ([[Stefania Constantini]]/[[Amos Mosaner]]) ([[Curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Mixed doubles tournament|2022 Winter Olympics - Mixed Double]]) – Italy, who had never achieved a single top four finish in any kind of curling world championship or Olympiad, won the gold medal undefeated with 11 straight wins thanks to an aggressive playstyle. During the tournament, they won 3 times with a 10+ score (against Czech Republic, Norway and Sweden) in the round-robin, beat Sweden in semifinals by 8-1 and won the final against Norway by 8–5.

===Cycling===
* [[Anna Kiesenhofer]] ([[Cycling at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's individual road race|2020 Summer Olympics – Women's individual road race]]) – Kiesenhofer, who turned pro in 2017, broke away from her group at the very start of the race along with four other riders. She proceeded to drop her breakaway companions, soloing off the front at the Kagosaka Pass with {{convert|41|km}} to go and holding off the late chase from the peloton. She won by 1' 15" over the silver medalist, [[Annemiek van Vleuten]] of the [[Netherlands at the 2020 Summer Olympics|Netherlands]]. Van Vleuten made a late attack with {{convert|2.1|km}} to go, distancing the remnants of the peloton. She celebrated after crossing the line, having mistakenly thought that all the breakaway riders had been caught and that she had won gold.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Amy|date=25 July 2021|title=Olympics: Van Vleuten celebrates but mistakes silver for gold|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/olympics-van-vleuten-celebrates-but-mistakes-silver-for-gold/|access-date=25 July 2021|publisher=CyclingNews}}</ref> Kiesenhofer's win was considered a major upset given that she trained for the event without a coach or a professional team, and was not viewed as a contender to win a medal.<ref name="WRR-2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/olympic-games-2021/women-s-road-race/results/|title=Olympics: Shock gold for Anna Kiesenhofer in women's road race|first=Daniel|last=Benson|publisher=CyclingNews|date=25 July 2021|access-date=25 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Boren|first1=Cindy|date=25 July 2021|title=A Dutch cyclist thought she had won Olympic gold, but an Austrian was way ahead of her|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/25/anna-kiesenhofer-olympic-cycling/|url-status=live|access-date=26 July 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210725204610/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/25/anna-kiesenhofer-olympic-cycling/|archive-date=25 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="coyhaq">{{cite web|last1=Wire|first1=Coy|last2=Noor Haq|first2=Sana|title=Anna Kiesenhofer is a math genius who just pulled off one of the biggest shocks in Olympics history|date=26 July 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/26/sport/anna-kiesenhofer-olympic-gold-tokyo-2020-spt-intl/index.html|access-date=28 July 2021|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

===Esports===

====''Counter Strike: Global Offensive''====
* [[Cloud9]] at the [[ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018|ELEAGUE Boston Major 2018]] – The team made noticeable changes before the 2018 season, with longtime veterans [[n0thing|Jordan "n0thing" Gilbert]] and [[Shroud (gamer)|Michael "shroud" Grzesiek]] leaving the roster in favour of Tarik "tarik" Celik and William "RUSH" Wierzba, both from [[OpTic Gaming]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Villanueva |first1=Jamie |title=Cloud9 signs Tarik and RUSH |url=https://dotesports.com/counter-strike/news/cloud9-tarik-rush-n0thing-shroud-change-16680 |website=Dot Esports |access-date=15 August 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hitt |first1=Kevin |title=Former Cloud9 player Jordan "n0thing" Gilbert conflicted on returning to CS:GO |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/21760938/former-cloud9-counter-strike-global-offensive-player-jordan-n0thing-gilbert-says-not-sure-want-compete-again |website=ESPN |access-date=14 December 2017 |language=en}}</ref> <br />With the roster formed, Cloud9 had a strong start in the first Swiss formatted stage with a 3–0 record, but struggled in the second stage after losing to [[G2 Esports]] and Space Soldiers, the latter loss being a shocking upset. Facing a quick elimination from the tournament, the team picked up resounding wins against [[Virtus.pro]], [[Astralis]], and [[Vega Squadron]] to qualify to the playoffs with a 3–2 record.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosinski |first1=Naim |title=CSGO 2018 Retrospective: Cloud9’s fall from champs to trouble |url=https://upcomer.com/csgo-2018-retrospective-cloud9-fall |website=Upcomer |access-date=3 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref> <br />There, the team advanced to the grand finals, defeating G2 Esports and [[SK Gaming]] to face off against the European-region superteam [[FaZe Clan]], who were undefeated throughout the tournament at the time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Byers |first1=Preston |title=Cloud9 overcome SK, advance to the grand finals of the ELEAGUE Major: Boston |url=https://dotesports.com/general/news/cloud9-sk-gaming-eleague-major-jan-27-20592 |website=Dot Esports |access-date=27 January 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Cocke |first1=Taylor |title=Cloud9 Becomes First North American Team to Win a CS:GO Major |url=https://me.ign.com/en/pc/142966/news/cloud9-becomes-first-north-american-team-to-win-a-csgo-major |website=IGN |access-date=31 January 2018 |language=en}}</ref> After FaZe Clan won the closely contested first game, Cloud9 struck back in the second game to force a deciding third game. During the third map, Inferno, Cloud9 forced a late comeback off the back of [[Stewie2K|Jacky "Stewie2K" Yip]]'s clutch play in the final round to guarantee overtime. Subsequently, Cloud9 secured their major win in dramatic fashion during double overtime, becoming the first North American team to win a [[Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships|Valve–sponsored major in CS:GO]], a feat that remains unmatched in competitive Counter-Strike history.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rondina |first1=Steven |title=Cloud9 Win ELEAGUE Major with Greatest CS:GO Major Series Ever |url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/4106/cloud9-win-eleague-major-with-greatest-csgo-major-series-ever |website=Inven Global |access-date=28 January 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cloud9 win the CS:GO ELEAGUE Major beating FaZe Clan |url=https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/other-sports/news/34214/11230393/clooud9-win-the-csgo-eleague-major-beating-faze-clan |website=Sky Sports |date=2 February 2018}}</ref> <br />The series was lauded for its dramatic nature, as Cloud9 and other teams from the North American region were noted for their lackluster success in the Counter Strike scene leading up to the event.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Delorme |first1=Samuel |title=C9 becomes first North American team to win CS:GO major |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/22245044/cloud9-becomes-first-north-american-team-win-counter-strike-global-offensive-major |website=ESPN |access-date=29 January 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

====''Dota 2''====
* [[OG (esports)|OG]] at [[The International 2018]] – OG suffered multiple setbacks during qualifications in which three of its core members left for rival teams. Due to post-deadline roster changes, OG was no longer eligible to be directly invited to The International, nor its regional qualifiers and were required to play through the open qualifiers.<ref name="TFCOG">{{cite web |last1=Rose |first1=Victoria |title=OG Dota win The International 8 for $11 million top prize |url=https://www.theflyingcourier.com/2018/8/25/17782550/dota-international-2018-winner-lgd |website=The Flying Courier |date=25 August 2018 |access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Redbull interview">{{cite web |last1=O’Keefe |first1=David |title=OG fill us in on their epic TI8 victory |url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/ti8-champions-og-interview |website=Red Bull |access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref> <br />Needing three new members just a few weeks before the open qualifiers began, OG quickly signed [[Topson|Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen]], a newcomer to the scene who had never performed at a major [[LAN party|LAN event]], [[Ceb (gamer)|Sébastien "Ceb" Debs]], retired professional player who had previously served as the team's coach and has not played at professional level for nearly 3 years, and [[ana (gamer)|Anathan "ana" Pham]], returning to the team from a year-long break after their previous elimination at [[The International 2017]].<ref name="TFCOG"/><ref name="Redbull interview"/><ref>{{cite web|title=A Shift in OG.|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/og/a-shift-in-og/2052592141695413/|website=Facebook|access-date=May 28, 2018}}</ref><ref name="May2018">{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/OGDota2/posts/2055701111384516 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/1631316270489671/2055701111384516 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|website=Facebook|title=OG |access-date=4 June 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Finishing outside of the top eight in the [[Dota Pro Circuit]] final standings, which granted a direct invite to The International 2018, OG earned theirs by playing through and winning the European-region open qualifiers. Following their win at the European qualifiers, OG were then placed into group A, finishing fourth with a record of 9–7, which seeded them into the upper bracket. There, OG won every series to advance to the grand finals.<ref>{{cite web |title=OG beats PSG.LGD in winners bracket thriller; Evil Geniuses advances |url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/24466678/2018-international-8-liquid-secret-psg-lgd-og-evil-geniuses |website=ESPN |date=24 August 2018 |publisher=Rotoworld |access-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826214623/http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/24466678/2018-international-8-liquid-secret-psg-lgd-og-evil-geniuses |archive-date=August 26, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="ESPNOG">{{cite web |title=OG wins five-game thriller to take The International 8 title and $11 million |url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/24475992/og-beats-psglgd-finals-international-8-win-aegis-champions-11-million |website=ESPN |date=25 August 2018 |publisher=Rotowire |access-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827120621/http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/24475992/og-beats-psglgd-finals-international-8-win-aegis-champions-11-million |archive-date=August 27, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PCGOG">{{cite magazine |last1=Strom |first1=Steven |title=Dota 2 championship ends in a pulse-pounding, curse-breaking Cinderella story |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-international-2018-dota-2-results-og-vs-psg/ |magazine=PC Gamer |date=26 August 2018 |access-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826214708/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-international-2018-dota-2-results-og-vs-psg/ |archive-date=August 26, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Facing the lower bracket winner PSG.LGD in it, whom OG had just defeated in the upper bracket finals, OG won the game one, but lost the next two games.<ref name="ESPNOG"/> Needing another win to avoid losing the series, OG forced a late-game comeback in game four, and subsequently won game five, making them International champions and winning them over {{USD}}11 million in prize money.<ref name="TFCOG"/><ref name="ESPNOG"/><ref name="PCGOG"/><br />OG would then go on to win [[The International 2019]] with the same roster, becoming the first team to win two [[The International (Dota 2)|The International]]s and first team to win back to back The Internationals, a feat that remains unmatched in the history of Dota 2 esports.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rondina |first1=Steven |title=OG wins The International 2019, becomes first repeat TI champion |url=https://win.gg/news/2156/og-wins-the-international-2019-becomes-first-repeat-ti-champion |website=WIN.gg |access-date=13 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Team Spirit (esports)|Team Spirit]] at [[The International 2021]] – After failing to secure a direct invite to The International 2021, Team Spirit qualified for the event after edging out Team Empire in the Eastern European regional qualifiers 3–2.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lozano |first1=Kurt |title=TI10: Team Spirit win the Eastern EU/CIS qualifier |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/ti10-team-spirit-the-eastern-eu-cis-qualifier-dota-2-011925884.html |website=Yahoo News |access-date=27 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref><br />During the event, the team had a rough start to the group stage, but secured a spot in the upper bracket of the main event with a 10–6 record.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cockram |first1=Tom |title=Tracing Team Spirit’s road from Russia to the Aegis of Champions |url=https://www.redbull.com/in-en/team-spirit-road-to-world-champions-ti10 |website=Red Bull |access-date=4 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref> There, the team faced off against [[Invictus Gaming]], where they were sent to the lower bracket after a close 2–1 series. On the brink of elimination, the team made a miraculous run through the lower bracket, defeating [[Fnatic]], the defending two-time champions [[OG (esports)|OG]], [[Virtus.pro]], the team that sent Spirit to the lower bracket; [[Invictus Gaming]], and [[Team Secret]] to face off against heavy favorites [[PSG.LGD]] in the grand final, who at the time had only dropped two games throughout the entire tournament.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ridsdale |first1=Jack |title=How "super-emotional" Team Spirit won the biggest prize in esports |url=https://www.redbull.com/int-en/how-team-spirit-dota-2-won-the-international-2021 |website=Red Bull |access-date=18 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Purdue |first1=Danelie |title=Why PSG.LGD are practically unbeatable at TI10 |url=https://www.oneesports.gg/dota2/why-psg-lgd-are-unbeatable-at-ti10/ |website=One Esports |access-date=16 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref><br /> In the best-of-five series, Spirit won the first two games, but a counter to Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov's Magnus pick in game three, and a dominant performance in game four by [[PSG.LGD]] pushed the series to a game five.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Utama |first1=Kenneth |title=Team Spirit’s International 10 win: Dota’s ultimate underdog run |url=https://upcomer.com/team-spirits-international-10-win-dotas-ultimate-underdog-run |website=Upcomer |access-date=18 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Although PSG.LGD were able to pick their strong combination of Tiny and Lycan during the draft phase, Spirit subsequently won the final game of the series to become The International champions, and the first Eastern European team to win an International since [[Natus Vincere]] in the inaugural International in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Michael |first1=Cale |title=Team Spirit shock the world, beat PSG.LGD to win The International 10 |url=https://dotesports.com/dota-2/news/team-spirit-shock-the-world-beat-psg-lgd-to-win-the-international-10 |website=Dot Esports |access-date=17 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Utama |first1=Kenneth |title=Team Spirit are The International 10 champions |url=https://upcomer.com/team-spirit-are-the-international-10-champions |website=Upcomer |access-date=17 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref> As a result of the win, the team received {{USD}}18 million in prize money, the largest purse awarded in esports.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bolding |first1=Jonathan |title=Team Spirit wins $18M Dota 2 championship in close finals |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/team-spirit-wins-dollar18m-dota-2-championship-at-last-second/ |website=PC Gamer |access-date=18 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

====''League of Legends''====
* [[DRX (esports)|DRX]] at the [[2022 League of Legends World Championship]] – DRX entered the World Championship as the [[League of Legends Champions Korea|LCK]]'s fourth seed, having finished the LCK Summer split in sixth place with a 9–9 record. After being eliminated in the LCK Summer playoffs, they qualified for the World Championship via the Korean regional qualifiers by defeating [[KT Rolster]] and [[Liiv Sandbox]]; in both games, DRX was already down 2–1 in the best-of-five series, but managed to win both games 3–2 to clinch the LCK's fourth seed at the World Championship.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mahato |first1=Ashish |title=DRX mount comeback against KT, advance in 2022 LCK Regional Qualifier|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/drx-mount-comeback-against-kt-advance-in-2022-lck-regional-qualifier |website=Dot Esports|access-date=7 November 2022 |date=2 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kwon |first1=Daniel |title=DRX Ssong: "From our qualifiers run, we learned how to flip unfavorable situations in our favor." |url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/17814/drx-ssong-from-our-qualifiers-run-we-learned-how-to-flip-unfavorable-situations-in-our-favor |website=Inven Global |access-date=6 November 2022 |date=6 September 2022}}</ref><br /> At the tournament, DRX topped Group B of the play-in stage and advanced to the main group stage, where they once again topped the Group C with a 4–2 record and a group tiebreaker win over the [[League of Legends European Championship|LEC's]] [[Rogue (esports)|Rogue]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cowley |first1=Ric |title=DRX secure their Worlds 2022 Main Event spot with a flawless Play-In run |url=https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/lol-worlds-2022-drx-play-in-recap |website= Red Bull |access-date=7 November 2022 |date=31 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Jang |first1=David |title=No undefeated teams left at Worlds 2022 — DRX and Rogue advance to the knockouts |url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/17948/no-undefeated-teams-left-at-worlds-2022-drx-and-rogue-advance-to-the-knockouts |website= Inven Global |access-date=7 November 2022 |date=15 October 2022}}</ref> In the knockout stage, DRX first defeated defending world champions [[Edward Gaming]] in the quarter-finals after coming back from a 2–0 deficit in the best-of-five series, and then the LCK Summer split champions [[Gen.G]] in the semi-finals, becoming the first team in the history of the competition to reach the finals as a team that started in play-ins.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cowley |first1=Ric |title=T1 and DRX charge into the Worlds 2022 semi-finals charge |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/league-of-legends-worlds-2022-quarter-finals-recap |website=Red Bull |access-date=7 November 2022 |date=31 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Michael |title=Bottom to top: DRX make League history with play-ins to Worlds finals charge |url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/drx-first-play-in-team-to-advance-to-league-worlds-finals |website=Dot Esports |access-date=6 November 2022 |date=31 October 2022}}</ref><br />In the finals, DRX faced [[T1 (esports)|T1]] and their star player [[Faker (gamer)|Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok]], who is regarded as one of the most recognizable players with three world titles.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erzberger |first1=Tyler |title=Esports' Michael Jordan: the global Faker phenomenon|url=https://africa.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/17901618/global-phenomenon-sk-telecom-t1-faker-esports-michael-jordan |website=ESPN |access-date=6 November 2022 |date=28 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="drx2">{{cite news |last1=Liao |first1=Shannon |title=DRX beats T1 to win 2022 League of Legends World Championship |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/esports/2022/11/06/league-legends-worlds-drx-t1/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=6 November 2022 |date=6 November 2022}}</ref> Prior to the World Championship Finals, DRX had 0 wins against T1 in the entire year. T1 were leading 2–1 in the final, however, DRX once again bounced back and won the match 3–2 to clinch their first world title.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jimoh |first1=Rashidat |title=DRX upset T1 to win League of Legends Worlds 2022 title |url=https://upcomer.com/drx-upset-t1-to-win-league-of-legends-worlds-2022-title |website=Upcomer |access-date=6 November 2022 |language=en-us |date=6 November 2022}}</ref> The victory also meant that [[Deft (gamer)|Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu]], who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, finally won the title after failing to do so on numerous occasions between 2014 and 2021, when he was always eliminated either in the quarter-finals or the semi-finals.<ref name="drx2"/>

===Golf===
* [[Tiger Woods]] – Woods won the [[2019 Masters Tournament]] by one shot, giving him his first major title in 11 years (and his first green jacket in 14 years) after mounting a historic comeback following personal scandal and countless debilitating injuries and surgeries. Because of his remarkable performance, Woods was awarded the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] by President [[Donald Trump]].

===Ice hockey===

====National Hockey League====
* [[1937–38 Chicago Black Hawks season|1937–38 Chicago Black Hawks]] – The Black Hawks would struggle with a 14–25–9 record. However, they earned a playoff spot, and in the first series, took on the [[1937–38 Montreal Canadiens season|Montreal Canadiens]]. Although they lost the first game of the series, the Hawks would win the next two games, including a shocker 3–2 OT victory at Montreal. Then, they faced the [[1937–38 New York Americans season|New York Americans]]. Like the first series, the Hawks would drop the opening game, before winning the next two games. In the [[1938 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]], they took on the [[1937–38 Toronto Maple Leafs season|Toronto Maple Leafs]]. The Black Hawks won the first game before dropping the second game. Then the Hawks won the next two games to take home their second Stanley Cup. They are considered the biggest Cinderella story in NHL history and they became the first pro sports team to win a championship with a losing record.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2008/04/1930s-hawks-had-american-dreams.html|title=1930s Hawks Had American Dreams|first=Joe|last=Pelletier|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
* [[2003–04 Tampa Bay Lightning season|2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning]] − The Lightning were coming off a 36-win season and a loss in the [[2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs#Conference Semifinals|Eastern Conference Semifinals]] to the [[2002-03 New Jersey Devils season|New Jersey Devils]] the year before. After putting up 46 wins in the regular season, the Lightning made just their 3rd Playoff appearance in franchise history. They then beat the [[2003-04 New York Islanders season|New York Islanders]] in 5 games, the [[2003-04 Montreal Canadiens season|Montreal Canadiens]] in 4 games, and the [[2003-04 Philadelphia Flyers season|Philadelphia Flyers]] in 7 games, to make their first Cup Final just 12 years into their existence. They would then beat the [[2003-04 Calgary Flames season|Calgary Flames]] in 7 games to win their first Stanley Cup, becoming the first team in the [[Southeastern United States]] to win it.
* [[2011–12 Los Angeles Kings season|2011–12 Los Angeles Kings]] – The Kings became the first eight seed of any conference to win the [[Stanley Cup]]. The Kings entered the [[2012 Stanley Cup playoffs]] despite finishing with 95 points. In the first round, they defeated the first overall seed and [[Presidents' Trophy]] winning [[2011–12 Vancouver Canucks season|Vancouver Canucks]] in five games. They proceeded to sweep the second seed [[2011–12 St. Louis Blues season|St. Louis Blues]] and eliminated the third seed [[2011–12 Phoenix Coyotes season|Phoenix Coyotes]] in five games, going undefeated on the road in all three rounds. They started the [[2012 Stanley Cup Finals|finals]] against the [[2011–12 New Jersey Devils season|New Jersey Devils]] by winning the first three games of the series. They lost games four and five to the Devils before winning game six and their first ever Stanley Cup championship in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goss|first=Nicholas|title=LA Kings Complete Cinderella Run to Claim Stanley Cup Glory|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1218100-la-kings-complete-cinderella-run-to-claim-stanley-cup-glory|website=BleacherReport.com|date=June 11, 2012|access-date=July 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.blog.terra.com/2012/06/12/los-angeles-kings-finish-cinderella-run-with-rout-to-end-title-drought/ |title=Sports Beat » Los Angeles Kings finish Cinderella Run with rout to end title drought |access-date=2014-04-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140913074644/http://sports.blog.terra.com/2012/06/12/los-angeles-kings-finish-cinderella-run-with-rout-to-end-title-drought/ |archive-date=2014-09-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nhl/story/_/id/8040622/los-angeles-kings-first-stanley-cup-was-long-time-coming|title=Markazi: Kings' first Cup was long time coming|date=12 June 2012|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> They would go on to win the Stanley Cup once again [[2014 Stanley Cup Finals|two years later]], which had them winning in seven games on the road three times, including being the fourth team in NHL history to overcome an 0–3 series deficit by doing so against their cross-state rival San Jose Sharks in the first round, and then the Anaheim Ducks and defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, before beating the New York Rangers in five games to win their second title in franchise history and in three years.
* [[2018–19 St. Louis Blues season|2018–19 St. Louis Blues]] – The Blues had a dismal start to the [[2018–19 NHL season|2018–19 season]] that had them left in last place by the beginning of 2019. Throughout that time, the Blues made some drastic changes to their roster, namely firing head coach [[Mike Yeo]] and replacing him with [[Craig Berube]], as well as experimenting with having rookie goaltender [[Jordan Binnington]], fresh from their [[American Hockey League|AHL]] [[farm team]], the [[San Antonio Rampage]], become the primary goaltender in place of [[Jake Allen (ice hockey)|Jake Allen]]. These decisions led to an unexpected reversal of fortune for the Blues, as Binnington won his first-ever professional start with a 3–0 win over the [[2018–19 Philadelphia Flyers season|Philadelphia Flyers]] on January 7, and the Blues' confidence with his untapped potential eventually ignited an 11-game winning streak late into that month and cemented his place as primary goaltender for the rest of the season. Eventually, the Blues managed to earn 99 regular season points and clinch the position of third seed in the [[Central Division (NHL)|Central Division]], qualifying for the [[2019 Stanley Cup playoffs|Stanley Cup playoffs]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shpigel |first1=Ben |title=How the Blues Went From Last Place to the Stanley Cup Finals |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/sports/st-louis-blues-stanley-cup-finals.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 22, 2019 |access-date=June 15, 2019}}</ref> The Blues then had to endure a long, difficult and sometimes uncertain playoff run against teams that held home-ice advantage and/or were more heavily favored Cup favorites, but they managed to hold their own against them by developing a mastery in road play, garnering a 10–3 record in visiting games. The Blues got caught in a 2–2 series tie in every round they played, including a potentially dooming 3–2 series hole in the second round, but their resolve to win prevailed, as they defeated their fellow division member [[2018–19 Winnipeg Jets season|Winnipeg Jets]], outlasted the upper wild-card [[2018–19 Dallas Stars season|Dallas Stars]], and avenged a conference finals defeat to the [[2018–19 San Jose Sharks season|San Jose Sharks]] from three years prior to advance to play in the [[2019 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] against the [[2018–19 Boston Bruins season|Boston Bruins]]. The Blues defeated the Bruins in seven games to finally win their first Stanley Cup in their 52 years in existence, ending the longest wait for a first championship for a team in NHL history as well as the tied-for-longest active Stanley Cup drought at the time and one of the longest in the league's history. In addition to earning his first shutoff win in a playoff game, Jordan Binnington became the first-ever rookie NHL goaltender to achieve the maximum number of wins in a playoff run, and [[Ryan O'Reilly (ice hockey)|Ryan O'Reilly]], whom the Blues had acquired from [[2018–19 Buffalo Sabres season|Buffalo]] over the off-season, won the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]] for the playoff MVP, earning 23 points over 26 playoff games played.

====International====
* [[United States men's national ice hockey team|United States]] ([[Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics|1980 Winter Olympics]])&nbsp; – The American team, consisting entirely of amateur and collegiate players, won the [[1980 Winter Olympics|Olympic]] gold medal. Along the way, they defeated the veteran and professional four-time defending champions Soviet Union by a score of 4–3 in a medal round game, an event known as the [[Miracle on Ice]] and widely considered to be one of the greatest U.S. sports achievements of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fitzpatrick|first=Jamie|title=Miracle on Ice: American Hockey's Defining Moment|url=http://proicehockey.about.com/cs/history/a/miracle_on_ice.htm|publisher=[[About.com]]|access-date=2009-02-09}}</ref>
* [[Finland men's national ice hockey team|Finland]] ([[2019 IIHF World Championship|2019 World Championship]])&nbsp; – Finland came in to the tournament with 18 first-timers, and with only two NHL players on the squad, which led to them being doubted by pundits all over the world. The Finns, however, placed second in their group, which pitted them against a [[Sweden men's national ice hockey team|Swedish team]] with 21 NHL players in the quarterfinals. The Finns eventually beat the Swedes 5–4 in overtime, which was followed up by a 1–0 shutout against a stacked, previously undefeated [[Russia men's national ice hockey team|Russian team]] in the semifinal. Finally, the Finns defeated [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Canada]] 3–1 in the [[2019 IIHF World Championship Final|final]] to secure their third world championship in the most unlikely fashion.<ref name="Finns repeat in Slovakia">{{cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2019/wm/news/13067/gold|title=Finns repeat in Slovakia|date=26 May 2019|work=iihf.com}}</ref>
* [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Canada]] ([[2021 IIHF World Championship|2021 World Championship]]) — Two years after losing to [[Finland men's national ice hockey team|Finland]] in the final in 2019, and a year after the cancellation of the 2020 tournament due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the Canadians, led by the team's captain [[Adam Henrique]], returned to the 2021 tournament facing seven teams in Group B. After losing their first three games, the Canadian team won three straight games before losing to the defending world champion Finland 3–2 in the shootout. They were so close to being eliminated in the preliminary round, but the Canadian team finished fourth in their group based on head-to-head victory over [[Kazakhstan men's national ice hockey team|Kazakhstan]] (4–2), and made the playoffs. The Canadians upset the [[Russia men's national ice hockey team|ROC team]] 2–1 in overtime in the quarterfinals, and then defeated the [[United States men's national ice hockey team|United States team]] 4–2 in the semifinals. Finally, the Canadians defeated the defending world champion Finland 3–2 in overtime in the [[2021 IIHF World Championship Final|final]] to win their 27th world championship in Canada's national team history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nick-paul-the-ot-hero-as-canada-defeats-finland-to-capture-gold-at-world-hockey-championship-1.1650543|title=Paul the OT hero as Canada captures gold at hockey worlds|publisher=[[The Sports Network|TSN.ca]]|author=[[The Canadian Press]]|date=6 June 2021|access-date=June 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/canada-beats-finland-3-2-in-ot-for-27th-world-hockey-title/2021/06/06/3aa15dac-c70b-11eb-8708-64991f2acf28_story.html|title=Canada beats Finland 3-2 in OT for 27th world hockey title|work=[[The Washington Post]]|author=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=June 6, 2021}}</ref>

===Motorsport===

====24 Hours of Le Mans====
* [[Ferrari 250 LM]] ([[1965 24 Hours of Le Mans]]) – As a result of a Ferrari's failed attempt to homologate the coupe version of the [[Ferrari 250 P|250 P]] as a [[Grand tourer#1962–1965 International Championship for GT Manufacturers|GT]], the 250 LM was forced to run in the prototype class, thus was considered too heavy to be a contender against the works Ferraris and Fords. After the work cars of the factory teams failed to finish, the two Ferrari [[privateer (motorsport)|privateers]] took a one-two to the end with the under-competitive car in what became the marque's last victory.<ref>{{cite book|title=The World's Racing Cars, Fourth Edition|last=Twite|first=Michael L|date=1971|publisher=Macdonald|isbn=0356031551|page=114}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|date=July 1985|title=LM Part I - The Story of the 250 Le Mans|journal=Cavallino|volume=28|pages=24–29}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://auto.ferrari.com/en_EN/sports-cars-models/past-models/250-lm/|title=Ferrari 250 LM (1963) - Ferrari.com|website=Auto.ferrarti.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://petrolicious.com/articles/the-unconfirmed-true-story-of-ferrari-s-last-le-mans-win|title=The Unconfirmed True Story of Ferrari's Last le Mans Win|newspaper=Petrolicious|date=19 May 2014|last1=Gilad |first1=Yoav }}</ref>

====Formula One====
* [[Brawn GP]] – Prior to the [[2009 Formula One season]], [[Honda in Formula One|Honda Racing F1]] announced their withdrawal from Formula 1. It had been a fully factory supported team that had achieved lacklustre results despite a $300 million budget and staff of 700.<ref name="iht">[http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/05/business/05honda.php Honda withdraws from Formula One racing] from the ''[[International Herald Tribune]]''</ref> A few weeks before the season was about to start, the team was subject to a [[management buyout]] by [[Ross Brawn]] and chief executive [[Nick Fry]]<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/4841355/Honda-buy-out-gets-green-light.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=Honda buy-out gets green light | first=Tom | last=Cary | date=2009-02-27 | access-date=2010-05-04}}</ref> and was subsequently rebranded as Brawn GP.<ref>{{cite press release|date=6 March 2009|title=Honda Announces Sale of the Honda Racing F1 Team|url=http://www.world.honda.com/news/2009/c090306Honda-Racing-F1-Team/ |publisher=Honda|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516200009/http://www.world.honda.com/news/2009/c090306Honda-Racing-F1-Team/|archive-date=16 May 2013|access-date=21 March 2014}}</ref> The team were not expected to be competitive following the loss of 270 jobs, necessary to ensure the team's survival<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/147975-brawn-gp-win-has-brought-credibility-back-to-f1-but-old-guard-follow-near|title=Brawn GP Win Has Brought Credibility Back to F1, But Old Guard Follow Near|first=Kris|last=Brown|website=[[Bleacher Report]]|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> and having only three cars available as opposed to eight in better funded teams.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brawn BGP-001: record breaker|url=http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/brawn-bgp001-record-breaker/|first=Sam|last=Collins|publisher=Racecar Engineering|date=2009-10-18|access-date=2009-10-21}}</ref> The team [[2009 Australian Grand Prix|began its season]] with [[Jenson Button]] and [[Rubens Barrichello]] scoring a 1–2 victory respectively<ref>[http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/29032009/58/brilliant-button-wins-brawn-debut.html Brilliant Button wins on Brawn debut].2009-03-29. Eurosport.co.uk</ref> with Button starting from pole.<ref>[http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45358 Button heads all Brawn front row] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329085129/http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45358 |date=2009-03-29}}|2009-03-27|ITV-F1.com</ref> The team then won 5 of the 6 following races, all by Button<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7970488.stm|title=Button seals dream Australia win|date=29 March 2009|access-date=10 June 2022|website=News.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7984270.stm|title=Classy Button wins abandoned race|date=5 April 2009|access-date=10 June 2022|website=News.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8019347.stm |title=Brilliant Button wins at Bahrain |work=BBC Sport |date= 26 April 2009 |access-date= 28 April 2009 |first=Andrew |last=Benson}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |date=14 May 2009 |title=Another Brawn 1–2 as Button takes arms |journal=[[Autosport]] |volume=196 |issue=7 |page=30}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/5/9401.html|title=Ferrari powerless to stop Brawn|access-date=2009-07-04}}</ref><ref>[http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45614 Vettel flies home with RBR maiden win] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421115237/http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45614 |date=2009-04-21}} ITV-F1.com. 2009-04-19. Retrieved on 2009-04-19</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/6/9470.html|title=Button halts Red Bull charge|access-date=2009-07-04}}</ref> before the well funded and factory supported opposition began to catch-up.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/6/9539.html|title=Vettel charges to dominant win|access-date=2009-07-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/murraywalker/2009/07/your_questions_answered_week_e.html|title=BBC - Murray Walker: Your questions answered - week eight|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=10 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=James_Allen&id=46349|title=Allen's star of qualifying|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716195750/http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=James_Allen&id=46349|archive-date=2009-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=General&id=46356|title=Where everyone finished when Webber won at last|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715094245/http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=General&id=46356|archive-date=2009-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=46477|title=Hamilton takes first win of 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729113907/http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=46477|archive-date=2009-07-29}}</ref> However, the team would hold on, and would win the Driver's Championship with Button and the Constructor's title.

====Grand Prix motorcycle racing====
* [[Suzuki MotoGP|Team Suzuki ECSTAR]] – Prior to the [[2020 MotoGP season]], Suzuki won three races in the last Four seasons. Suzuki had fielded All-Spanish riders [[Joan Mir]] (Who became World Champion in 2020) and [[Alex Rins]]. In the start of the Season Alex Rins suffered shoulder injury during qualifying and then Joan Mir suffered an accident in lap 10 of [[2020 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix|Spanish Grand Prix]]. In [[2020 Andalusian motorcycle Grand Prix|Andalusian Grand Prix]] they finished fifth and tenth respectively. In [[2020 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix|Czech Grand Prix]] Rins placed 4th despite Mir collided by KTM's [[Iker Lecuona]]. In [[2020 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix|Austrian Grand Prix]] Joan Mir finished 2nd and made his first podium of this race. [[2020 Styrian motorcycle Grand Prix|Styrian Grand Prix]] however they finished fourth and sixth respectively. [[2020 San Marino and Rimini's Coast motorcycle Grand Prix|San Marino Grand Prix]] that made Joan Mir second podium after finished third. [[2020 Emilia Romagna and Rimini's Coast motorcycle Grand Prix|Another race in Rimini]] Joan Mir made podium again after placed second of that race. [[2020 Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix|Catalan Grand Prix]] that made Suzuki placed podium finish behind Frenchman [[Fabio Quartararo]]. In [[2020 French motorcycle Grand Prix|French Grand Prix]] They finished eleventh and sixteenth respectively despite Alex Rins finished race through pits. In [[2020 Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix|Aragon Grand Prix]] The Spanish duo finished in the podium Rins placed first and Mir placed third. [[2020 Teruel motorcycle Grand Prix|In the same circuit of the last round]] Suzuki made another podium finish, Rins placed second and Mir placed third. In [[2020 European motorcycle Grand Prix|European Grand Prix]] Joan Mir made first ever MotoGP win and Suzuki's 1–2 finish since the [[1982 German motorcycle Grand Prix|1982 German Grand Prix]]. In [[2020 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix|Valencian Grand Prix]] Joan Mir and Suzuki secured their MotoGP title for the first time since [[Kenny Roberts Jr]] in [[2000 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season|2000]].

====IFMAR World Championships====
* [[Masami Hirosaka]] ([[1987 IFMAR 1:10 Electric Off-Road World Championships|1987 IFMAR 1:10 Electric 4WD Off-Road World Championship]]) – The virtually unknown Hirosaka arrived in competition as a privateer with an outdated Schumacher CAT and no factory representation unlike the rest of the championship contenders. During practice and qualifying, he managed to impress [[Schumacher Racing Products|Schumacher]]'s management with his driving; thus was loaned a car (CAT XL) favored by his competitors and was not yet available in his native Japan. Despite being near-stock (as opposed to the heavily modified cars of his well supported oppositions) with much of the running gear donated from his old car, Hirosaka managed to win his first (of fourteen) title.<ref name="RCCA04-92">{{Citation
| last =Bacon
| first =Bill
| title =Masami Hirosaka: The Master Speaks
| journal =Radio Control Car Action
| pages =24–25
|date=April 1992
}}</ref>
* [[Tamiya Corporation|Tamiya]] (2002 [[International Federation of Model Auto Racing|IFMAR]] 1:10 ISTC World Championship) – Tamiya was better known for their R/C cars that catered to less than serious hobbyists in their 26 years of involvement. At the title contending A-main final of the event, Tamiya's title contention was led by an unknown Thai driver, Surikarn Chaidejsuriya, who was joined by a star studded line-up consisting of [[Masami Hirosaka]], who had just claimed his title defense in 1:12 On-Road racing (and his 13th title); Barry Baker, the Top Qualifier; David Spashett, the multiple world champion who notably scored his 'triple' in 1998,{{sfn|Haswell|McDonagh|Emery|1998|pp=2–14}}{{sfn|Gonzalez|1998|pp=92–104}} and defending champion [[Atsushi Hara]].{{sfn|Buono|2001|pp=170–178}}{{sfn|Haswell|2002|pp=34–38}} Surikarn took the 3rd (and final) round win to claim the title after Baker, the round 1 winner, badly damaged his car in a crash.{{sfn|Vogel|Vieira|2002|p=137}} This win was credited for helping to improve Tamiya's image as a serious contender and as a brand.{{sfn|Spinner|2008|pp=60–62}}

====World Rally Championship====
* [[Paddy Hopkirk]] and [[Mini (Mark I)|Mini Cooper S]] (1964 Monte Carlo Rally) – Hopkirk's win was unexpected as his Mini Cooper S was the smallest and the least powerful car in the entry list and thus were not considered to be a contender. Hopkirk described his win over the large and powerful American cars as a '[[David]] and [[Goliath]]' battle. His victory was the first of the hat trick of wins for the Minis.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Digest |first=Sports Car |date=2020-12-18 |title=1964 Monte Carlo Rally Tribute Mini Delivered to Paddy Hopkirk |url=https://sportscardigest.com/1964-monte-carlo-rally-tribute-mini-delivered-to-paddy-hopkirk/ |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=Sports Car Digest - The Sports, Racing and Vintage Car Journal |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=On the Road with Paddy Hopkirk's Monte Carlo Rally-winning Mini-Cooper S |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/march-1964/15/on-the-road-with-the-monte-carlo-rally-winning-min |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=Motor Sport Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A big victory for the small car: 50 years ago the classic Mini won the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time. Paddy Hopkirk made the one-off British small car a motor sport legend in January 1964 – Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen repeated the triumph in 1965 and 1967. |url=https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0164831EN_GB/a-big-victory-for-the-small-car:-50-years-ago-the-classic-mini-won-the-monte-carlo-rally-for-the-first-time-paddy-hopkirk-made-the-one-off-british-small-car-a-motor-sport-legend-in-january-1964-–-timo-maekinen-and-rauno-aaltonen-repeated-the-triumph-in-1965-and-1967?language=en_GB |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=www.press.bmwgroup.com}}</ref>
* [[Jean-Pierre Nicolas]] (1978 Monte Carlo Rally) - Nicolas' privately entered [[Porsche 911 (classic)|Porsche 911 SC]] was not considered to be the favorites to the work efforts of the [[Lancia Stratos]]es, led by [[Sandro Munari]] (who was chasing his fourth consecutive win) and the [[Walter Röhrl]] and [[Bernard Darniche]] led [[Fiat 131|Fiat-Abarth 131s]]. This was until snowstorm plagued the rally course prior to the start. As the rally progressed, the heavy snow favored the Michelins of the rear-engined Porsche and the works [[Group 2 (racing)|Group 2]] front-driven, front wheel drive [[Renault 5|Renault 5 Alpines]] (whom he finished ahead of) over the Fiats and the Lancias; who were plagued with poor tire choices in earlier sessions. Also Nicolas' had only had reeced the course for three days in a [[Peugeot 104]], unlike the work teams, who spent weeks preparing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petrány |first=Máté |date=2018-06-14 |title=Enjoy This Wild Ride with 1978's Monte Carlo Rally Winner |url=https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a21526310/enjoy-this-wild-ride-with-1978s-monte-carlo-rally-winner/ |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=Road & Track |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=MULLER |first=WILFRIED |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1148630325 |title=111 more porsche stories that you should know. |date=2020 |publisher=EMONS Verlag GMBH |isbn=978-3-7408-0904-1 |location=[Place of publication not identified] |page=52 |chapter=Monte Carlo Rally 1978 |oclc=1148630325}}</ref>
* [[Philippe Bugalski]] ([[1999 World Rally Championship]]) – Driving for part-timers [[Citroën World Rally Team|Citroën Sport]], Bugalski had scored his back to back wins at the [[Rally Catalunya]] and the [[Tour de Corse]] in his naturally aspirated, front-wheel-drive [[Citroën Xsara]], beating the turbocharged 4WD championship contenders. These wins forced the 2 Litre World Cup class to be handicapped from the following season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Giant-killing Citroen Xsara wins back-to-back in 1999 – Motorsport Moments|url=https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/citroen/352582/giant-killing-citroen-xsara-wins-back-back-1999-motorsport-moments|access-date=2021-01-04|website=Auto Express|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-08-11|title=Former Citroen WRC star Bugalski dies|url=https://www.crash.net/wrc/news/182816/1/former-citroen-wrc-star-bugalski-dies|access-date=2021-01-04|website=Crash|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=World Rally winner and Citroen stalwart Philippe Bugalski dies after fall|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/101767/wrc-winner-bugalski-dies|access-date=2021-01-04|website=Autosport.com|language=en}}</ref>

==== NASCAR ====
* [[Tiny Lund]] in the [[1963 Daytona 500]] – part-timer Lund was given a ride by [[Marvin Panch]]'s team, [[Wood Brothers Racing]], in return of helping to save his life, after being been injured in an unrelated racing accident.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pearce |first=Al |date=2021-06-15 |title=Here's the Tall Tale behind Not So Tiny Lund's NASCAR Daytona 500 Win in 1963 |url=https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nascar/a36731194/heres-the-tall-tale-behind-not-so-tiny-lunds-nascar-daytona-500-win-in-1963/ |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Autoweek |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Ron Bouchard]] in the [[1981 Talladega 500]] – running third to [[Darrell Waltrip]] and [[Terry Labonte]] on the last lap, Bouchard swooped under both of them as the pair battled side by side out of the final turn in a photo finish. After the race, Waltrip admitted to fail to notice him and did not block him as he believed that Bouchard was a lap down.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |title=Ron Bouchard's Cup Car from his upset victory in the Talladega 500 in 1981 A Featured Attraction At PPB Motorsports 2017 – Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show |url=https://motorsportstradeshow.com/ron-bouchards-race-hill-farms-nascar-cup-car-to-victory-in-the-talladega-500-in-1981/ |access-date=2022-12-07 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Greg Sacks]] in the 1985 Pepsi Firecracker 400 –
* [[Derrike Cope]] in the [[1990 Daytona 500]] – <ref>{{Cite web |last=Bonkowski |first=Jerry |date=2015-02-18 |title=25 years ago, Derrike Cope pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Daytona 500 history |url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2015/02/18/25-years-ago-today-derrike-cope-pulled-off-one-of-the-greatest-upsets-in-daytona-500-history/ |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=NASCAR Talk {{!}} NBC Sports |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Alan Kulwicki]] in the [[1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season]] - Alan Kulwicki entered the 1992 season in the Winston Cup Series with only 3 wins to his name in his Cup Series career, with the Wisconsin born owner-driver having a best points finish of 8th in 1990. He started off the season with a 4th-place finish in the [[1992 Daytona 500]], then spent his next 10 races racking up 5 top 10s, 2 top 5s and a win at [[Bristol Motor Speedway]]. He would score back-to-back top 5s shortly afterwards, including a win at [[Pocono Raceway]], before slumping at Daytona and Talladega during the summer stretch. With a 34th-place finish resulting from a crash at the second race in Dover that put him 278 points away from the lead, Kulwicki rattled off 5 straight top 15 finishes, including 3 top 5s, to head into the [[1992 Hooters 500]] at [[Atlanta Motor Speedway]] in 2nd place in a legendary 6 driver battle for the Winston Cup.
Before the race, Kulwicki got permission from NASCAR to put two [[Mighty Mouse]] decals on the front of his car, more specifically the "TH" in "THUNDERBIRD"; his [[Ford Thunderbird]] was henceforth known as the "Underbird" due to Kulwicki being the only owner-driver in the championship battle, thus making him, in his eyes, the underdog. Kulwicki started 14th out of 41 cars, but had a broken gearbox early on in the race; the #7 would have to stay in 4th gear all day in order for the transmission to not completely break. Kulwicki would battle with NASCAR's most popular driver [[Bill Elliott]] for the Winston Cup after [[Davey Allison]], who was the points leader heading into the race, was caught up in a crash on Lap 254. Elliott finished 1st but, due to Kulwicki leading one more lap than the #11 car (103 laps to 102), the #7 Hooters car finished 10 points ahead of Elliott to win the 1992 Winston Cup Series championship. As a result, Kulwicki became the first driver born above the [[Mason-Dixon line]], as well as the first owner-driver since [[Richard Petty]] in 1979, to win the Winston Cup.
Kulwicki would pass away after an airplane crash on April 1, 1993.
* [[Trevor Bayne]] in the [[2011 Daytona 500]] – Racing in only his second [[NASCAR]] [[NASCAR Cup Series|Sprint Cup Series]] start, Trevor Bayne went on to survive the wreck-filled race and win the race. [[Mike Joy]], veteran NASCAR commentator, is heard saying "Cinderella's Glass slipper! (...?)", a direct reference to Cinderella stories in themselves.<ref>{{Citation|title=2011 Nascar Sprint Cup Daytona 500 Finish and victory lane|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJhqP8N_oZc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/bJhqP8N_oZc |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-09-16}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Bayne had just turned 20 the day before.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trevor Bayne shocks the racing world en route to Daytona victory {{!}} The Spokesman-Review|url=https://www.spokesman.com/blogs/keepingpace/2011/feb/20/trevor-bayne-shocks-racing-world-en-route-daytona-victory/|access-date=2021-09-16|website=Spokesman.com}}</ref>

===Rugby union===

====Pro12====
* [[Connacht Rugby|Connacht]] ([[2015–16 Connacht Rugby season|2015–16]]) – Traditionally the "weak sister" of Ireland's four provincial sides, having nearly been shuttered by the [[Irish Rugby Football Union]] in 2004 and never finishing higher than seventh in [[Pro14|Pro12]] prior to [[2015–16 Pro12|2015–16]],<ref name="Mirror image">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/36241346 |title=Glasgow Warriors come up short against mirror-image Connacht |first=Tom |last=English |publisher=[[BBC Scotland]] |date=8 May 2016 |access-date=14 June 2016}}</ref> Connacht finished the home-and-away season level on points with traditional power [[Leinster Rugby|Leinster]] atop the table (with Leinster claiming the top play-off seed on a tiebreaker) and went on to claim their first-ever title with a convincing win over Leinster in the [[2016 Pro12 Grand Final|final]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/guinness-pro12/connacht-20-10-leinster-cinderella-club-enjoy-the-ball-1-4140668 |title=Connacht 20 – 10 Leinster: Cinderella club enjoy the ball |first=Iain |last=Morrison |newspaper=The Scotsman |date=28 June 2016 |access-date=14 June 2016}}</ref>

===Snooker===
* [[Joe Johnson (snooker player)|Joe Johnson]] – Johnson won the [[1986 World Snooker Championship]] as a rank outsider, having never won a match in his previous appearances at the tournament.
* [[Stuart Bingham]] – Bingham won the [[2015 World Snooker Championship]] after being seen as a [[journeyman]] for much of his career.

===Short track speed skating===
* [[Steven Bradbury]] at [[Short track speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics – Men's 1000 metres|2002 Winter Olympics]] – the 1000 metre event is remembered for the victory of Australian [[Steven Bradbury (speed skater)|Steven Bradbury]], who benefited from all four other skaters in the final going down ahead of him, while Bradbury stayed on his feet and won gold. It was the first ever Winter Olympics gold medal for Australia.<ref>{{cite web | title = Australia win first ever gold | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/winterolympics2002/hi/english/skating/newsid_1825000/1825339.stm | work = BBC | date = 17 February 2002 | access-date = 12 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="SR">{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/2002/STK/mens-1000-metres.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417215021/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/2002/STK/mens-1000-metres.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Short Track Speed Skating at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games: Men's 1,000 metres |work=Sports Reference |access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref>

===Sumo===
* [[Terunofuji Haruo]] ({{ill|July Grand Sumo Tournament 2020|lt=July ''basho'' 2020|ja|大相撲令和2年7月場所|WD=}}, [[2020 in sumo]]) – In [[2017 in sumo|2017]], through a series of injuries; Terunofuji began his descent from his ''[[Makuuchi#Ōzeki|ōzeki]]'' rank (the 2nd highest rank in sumo) to by 2019, the ''[[jonidan]]'' division (the 2nd lowest division). It was after this, he began his ascent back to the ''[[makuuchi]]'' division (the highest division in professional sumo); winning division titles and losing one in a playoff. He earned his promotion back to the top division at the March {{ill|March Grand Sumo Tournament 2020|lt=Haru ''basho'' 2020|ja|大相撲令和2年3月場所}} but as a result of the pandemic which caused the cancellation of the Natsu ''basho'', he had to wait until July for his return. He won 13 bouts to secure his second career career top division ''[[yūshō]]'' on his return to the top division. He earned his second promotion to ''ōzeki'' following a third championship win in March 2021,<ref name="kyodo310321">{{cite web|date=31 March 2021|title=Sumo: Spring basho winner Terunofuji's ozeki promotion formalized|url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/bec185a28d1c-sumo-spring-basho-winner-terunofujis-ozeki-promotion-formalized.html|access-date=31 March 2021|work=Kyodo News}}</ref> which he immediately followed with another tournament championship in May 2021.<ref name="kyodo230521">{{cite news|date=23 May 2021|title=Sumo: Terunofuji beats Takakeisho to win 4th career championship|work=Kyodo News|url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/05/6c99e81fa3b5-sumo-terunofuji-beats-takakeisho-to-win-4th-career-championship.html|access-date=23 May 2021}}</ref> Following a runner-up performance in the July 2021 tournament, he was promoted to become the sport's 73rd ''[[Makuuchi#Yokozuna|yokozuna]]''.<ref name="kyodo210721">{{cite news|date=21 July 2021|title=Mongolian wrestler Terunofuji becomes sumo's 73rd yokozuna|work=Kyodo News|url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/41aee632b00b-breaking-news-mongolian-wrestler-terunofuji-promoted-to-yokozuna.html|access-date=21 July 2021}}</ref> Sumo commentator [[John Gunning (journalist)|John Gunning]] has regarded Terunofuji's comeback "a tale unparalleled in sumo history."<ref>{{cite news|last=Gunning|first=John|date=31 March 2021|title=Terunofuji redefines legacy with historic return to ozeki rank|work=[[The Japan Times]]|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/03/31/sumo/terunofuji-redefines-legacy-historic-return-ozeki-rank/|access-date=31 March 2021}}</ref>

===Tennis===
* [[1994 US Open – Men's singles|1994 US Open]] – [[Andre Agassi]] became the first unseeded player in the [[Open Era]] (1968–) to win the championship.
* [[2001 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|2001 Wimbledon]] – [[Goran Ivanišević]], a three-time runner-up ([[1992 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1992]], [[1994 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1994]], [[1998 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1998]]), won the title despite being ranked 125th and only entering the tournament by a [[Wild card (sports)|wild card]].
* [[2002 US Open – Men's singles|2002 US Open]] – [[Pete Sampras]], who was seeded 17th, won his last ever professional match to capture a then-record extending 14th [[Grand Slam (tennis)#Tournaments|Major]], beating [[Agassi–Sampras rivalry|long-time rival]] Andre Agassi in the final.
* [[2017 Australian Open – Men's singles|2017 Australian Open]] – 17th seed [[Roger Federer]], who was aged 35, defeated [[Federer–Nadal rivalry|long-time rival]] [[Rafael Nadal]] in a five-set final for his first Major tournament victory in five years.
* [[2021 US Open – Women's singles|2021 US Open]] – 18-year-old [[Emma Raducanu]] defeated fellow teenager [[Leylah Fernandez]] in the final, becoming the first [[Glossary of tennis terms#Q|qualifier]] to win a Major title. Raducanu did not lose a set throughout the entire tournament.
* [[2022 Australian Open – Men's singles|2022 Australian Open]] – [[Rafael Nadal]], aged 35 and returning from a six-month injury hiatus and infection by [[COVID-19]] that made him consider retirement, defeated [[Daniil Medvedev]] in a five-set final to win a record-breaking 21st Major title.<ref>{{cite news |last=Braidwood |first=Jamie |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/australian-open-final-result-nadal-medvedev-b2003655.html |title=Rafael Nadal produces epic comeback to defeat Daniil Medvedev and win record-breaking Australian Open title |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=30 January 2022 |access-date=30 January 2022 }}</ref>

==Examples of Cinderellas that did not win the championship==
These Cinderellas made it to the finals/playoffs in their respective leagues, but they were unable to win the championship.

===American football===

====National Football League====
* [[1972 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1972 Pittsburgh Steelers]] – In [[Chuck Noll]]'s 4th season as head coach, the Steelers finished 11–3 and qualified for the [[1972–73 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] as the AFC Central winner. It was the Steelers' first playoff appearance since [[1962 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1962]] and their second-ever appearance since [[1947 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1947]]. During the divisional round, the Steelers played the [[1972 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] and were leading 6–0 until the Raiders scored a touchdown late in the 4th quarter to take the lead 7–6. Facing a 4th-and-10 on their own 40 yard line, Steelers quarterback [[Terry Bradshaw]] threw towards halfback [[John Fuqua|John "Frenchy" Fuqua]], when Raiders safety [[Jack Tatum]] collided with Fuqua. However, Steelers fullback [[Franco Harris]] picked up the deflected ball and took it in for a touchdown. This play, later dubbed the "[[Immaculate Reception]]", helped the Steelers win 13–7 and get their first playoff victory. The Steelers would advance to the AFC championship game, but lost 21–17 to the undefeated [[1972 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]].
* [[1975 Dallas Cowboys season|1975 Dallas Cowboys]] – Finishing 10–4, the Cowboys qualified for the [[1975–76 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] as the NFC wildcard seed. During the divisional round, they defeated the defending NFC champion [[1975 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] 17–14 in [[Hail Mary pass|the now-famous "Hail Mary" game]], then beat the [[1975 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] 37–7 in the NFC championship game and became the first wildcard team to reach the Super Bowl. They would lose [[Super Bowl X]] to the defending Super Bowl champion [[1975 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] by a score of 21–17.
* [[1985 New England Patriots season|1985 New England Patriots]] – The Patriots were able to improve on their 9–7 record from [[1984 New England Patriots season|1984]] and finished with an 11–5 record in 1985. Despite starting the year 2–3, they were able to win 9 of their next 11 to barely make the [[1985-86 NFL playoffs|playoffs]] as the 5th seed with an 11–5 record. However, they won road playoff games against the division rival [[1985 New York Jets season|New York Jets]] and the number one seed [[1985 Los Angeles Raiders season|Los Angeles Raiders]] to advance to the AFC championship game on the road against the heavily favored rival [[1985 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]]. They shocked the world by winning, and became the first team in NFL history to make it to the Super Bowl by winning 3 consecutive road playoff games. However, the actual [[Super Bowl XX|Super Bowl]] would not be close, with the Bears trouncing the Patriots 46–10.
* [[1987 Minnesota Vikings season|1987 Minnesota Vikings]] – The Vikings finished the 1987 strike-shortened NFL season with a mediocre 8–7 record and barely qualified for the [[1987–88 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] as the final seed. They went to New Orleans to play the [[1987 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]] in the first ever playoff game for the Saints, and won the game by a score of 44–10. The next week, the Vikings went to San Francisco to play the number one seeded [[1987 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]]. Despite being heavy underdogs, the Vikings defeated the 49ers by a score of 36–24, advancing to the [[NFC Championship Game]]. However, the Vikings were unable to pull off a third consecutive upset, as they lost to the [[1987 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]] by a score of 17–10.
* [[1994 San Diego Chargers season|1994 San Diego Chargers]] – Finishing 11–5, the Chargers qualified for the No. 2 AFC seed in the NFL playoffs. After 2 comeback wins during the playoffs, a 22–21 win against the [[1994 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]] in the divisional round, and a 17–13 win against the [[1994 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] in the conference championship, the Chargers would make their first Super Bowl appearance at [[Super Bowl XXIX]], but lost 49–26 to the [[1994 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]]. As of 2020, this has been the Chargers' only Super Bowl appearance and their sole appearance as a San Diego-based franchise before relocating to Los Angeles after the 2016 season.
* [[1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season|1996 Jacksonville Jaguars]] – Entering their 2nd season as an expansion team, the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] started the season with a 4–7 record following a 28–3 loss against the [[1996 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]], resulting in [[wide receiver]] [[Andre Rison]] being released from the team following a miscommunication with [[quarterback]] [[Mark Brunell]]. The Jaguars would win out beginning with a 28–25 overtime victory against the [[Baltimore Ravens]] to finish the regular season with a 9–7 record and clinch the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Jaguars defeated the 3rd-seeded [[1996 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] and would later upset the heavily favored, top-seeded [[1996 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]], who were led by [[quarterback]] [[John Elway]]. Their season ended in the [[AFC Championship game]] following a 20–6 defeat against the 2nd-seeded [[1996 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]], who would go on to lose against the eventual champions, the [[1996 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]].<ref>{{Cite web| last1=Ketchman |first1=Vic |title=Jaguars' historical 1996 run, from 4-7 to 9-7 |url=https://www.jaguars.com/news/jaguars-historical-1996-run-from-4-7-to-9-7 |website=Jaguars.com |date=November 27, 2019}}</ref>
* [[1999 Tennessee Titans season|1999 Tennessee Titans]] – The Titans had just changed their team name from "Oilers" to "Titans" and had finished 13–3 and in second place in the [[AFC North|AFC Central]], their best record since [[1993 Houston Oilers season|1993]] when they were based in Houston and their first winning record under [[Jeff Fisher]]. In the [[1999–2000 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]], they [[Music City Miracle|memorably]] defeated the [[1999 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]]. The Titans then defeated the 13–3 [[1999 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]], led by sophomore quarterback [[Peyton Manning]] in the AFC divisional round, and then defeated their division [[Jaguars–Titans rivalry|rival]] [[1999 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville Jaguars]] 33–14 in the [[AFC Championship Game]]. With that win, the Titans became the only team to defeat the Jaguars during the season, having done so three times. After many years of playoff disappointments during the club's time as the [[History of the Houston Oilers|Houston Oilers]], the Titans advanced to play in [[Super Bowl XXXIV]], but their season came to an end with a 23–16 loss to the [[1999 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis Rams]], who themselves had won their first championship since [[1951 NFL Championship Game|1951]]. The game was highly known for its ending, known as "The Tackle", as Titans wide receiver [[Kevin Dyson]] was tackled by Rams linebacker [[Mike Jones (linebacker)|Mike Jones]], preventing a touchdown to potentially tie the game.
* [[2002 Oakland Raiders season|2002 Oakland Raiders]] – A year after they infamously lost to the eventual champion [[2001 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] in the [[Tuck Rule Game]] in last year's Divisional Round, the Raiders hired their offensive coordinator, [[Bill Callahan (American football)|Bill Callahan]] as their new head coach. The Raiders had started the season 4–0, but the team's hot start would be followed by a 4-game losing streak; the team's 4–4 record stunned many onlookers. Oakland, however, redeemed itself by winning seven of its final eight contests. In the third quarter of Oakland's 26–20 win on ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' over the [[2002 New York Jets season|New York Jets]], wide receiver [[Tim Brown (American football)|Tim Brown]] (whom had been with the Raiders since they were based in Los Angeles) became the third player in NFL history with 1,000 career catches. Finishing 11–5 and winning the [[AFC West]] division title for the third consecutive year, the Raiders defeated the Jets and the [[2002 Tennessee Titans season|Titans]] to advance to play in [[Super Bowl XXXVII]] against the [[2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], whom were led by their former coach, [[Jon Gruden]]. It was the Raiders' first Super Bowl since [[Super Bowl XVIII]] when they were based in Los Angeles. However, Oakland lost 48–21 to Tampa Bay, who won their first title in franchise history. Until [[2016 Oakland Raiders season|2016]], this was the Raiders' last time qualifying to play in the playoffs, and as of the conclusion of the 2018 season, this is the most recent season in which the Raiders have won a playoff game.
* [[2002 Cleveland Browns season|2002 Cleveland Browns]] – Three years since returning to the NFL following [[Cleveland Browns relocation controversy|a controversial relocation]], the Browns finished 9–7 and made the [[2002–03 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] for the first time since [[1994 Cleveland Browns season|1994]]. In the wildcard round, they faced their division rivals [[2002 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] but lost 36–33.
* [[2003 Carolina Panthers season|2003 Carolina Panthers]] – The Panthers, just two seasons after [[2001 Carolina Panthers season|holding the league's worst record at 1–15]] (their lone win being their season opener vs. the [[2001 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]]), finished the 2003 season at 11–5, clinching their second playoff appearance in franchise history. The Panthers defeated the [[2003 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]], the [[2003 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis Rams]] in double OT, and the [[2003 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] to qualify to play in [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]] against the [[2003 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]. Led by sophomore coach [[John Fox (American football)|John Fox]], the Panthers and Patriots were tied during the last minutes of the game 29–29 until Patriots kicker [[Adam Vinatieri]] delivered a game-winning field goal as time expired, handing New England their second title in three years.
* [[2004 St. Louis Rams season|2004 St. Louis Rams]] – Despite finishing with a mediocre 8–8 record, the Rams qualified for the [[2004–05 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] for the fifth time in six years. They were able to sweep their division rival [[2004 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]] both in the regular season and in the NFC wild card round, before falling to the [[2004 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] 47–17 in the NFC divisional round. This was the club's final playoff appearance in St. Louis, as the Rams failed to qualify for the playoffs again until [[2017 Los Angeles Rams season|2017]], when the franchise returned to [[Los Angeles]]. Statistics site [[Football Outsiders]] calculates that the 2004 Rams were, play-for-play, the worst team to make the playoffs in the site's rating history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Football Outsiders: Final 2010 DVOA Ratings|url=http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2011/final-2010-dvoa-ratings|website=FootballOutsiders.com|access-date=July 4, 2019|quote=The [2010] Seahawks were so good in their final win ... [it] puts them ahead of the 2004 Rams...}}</ref>
* [[2005 Seattle Seahawks season|2005 Seattle Seahawks]] – Three years after getting placed in the NFC West (where they'd been in [[1976 Seattle Seahawks season|their inaugural 1976 season]]), the Seahawks finished a franchise-best 13–3 and qualified for the top seed in the [[2005–06 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]]. During the divisional round, the Seahawks beat the [[2005 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]] 20–10 to win their first playoff game since [[1984 Seattle Seahawks season|1984]], and with a 34–14 win against the [[2005 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]] in the conference championship, Seattle would advance to their first Super Bowl. They would lose 21–10 to the [[2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] at [[Super Bowl XL]] in a game [[Super Bowl XL#Reaction to officiating|which was subject to questionable officiating]].
* [[2006 New Orleans Saints season|2006 New Orleans Saints]] – Since their establishment in [[1967 NFL season|1967]], the Saints had experienced many years of mediocrity, not qualifying for the playoffs until [[1987 New Orleans Saints season|1987]] and not winning a single one until [[2000 New Orleans Saints season|2000]]. The Saints were coming off a 3–13 record and the city of New Orleans came off the destruction of [[Hurricane Katrina]], which caused all of New Orleans' sports teams (including the Saints) to evacuate their home stadiums; the NBA's [[New Orleans Pelicans|New Orleans Hornets]] [[Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Hornets|temporarily moved]] to [[Oklahoma City]] and played there until the [[2007–08 NBA season|2007–08 season]]. The Saints had hired Cowboys assistant head coach [[Sean Payton]] as their new head coach and signed former [[Los Angeles Chargers|San Diego Chargers]] quarterback [[Drew Brees]], the 32nd overall pick in the [[2001 NFL draft|2001 draft]] to a six-year deal. With many suspecting that his career was over, Brees was coming off a career-threatening shoulder injury he suffered at the end of the [[2005 NFL season|2005 season]] that resulted him to be released by the Chargers and received interest by both the [[Miami Dolphins]] and Saints to sign Brees. Finishing 10–6 and clinching a first-round bye for the first time ever, the Saints enjoyed their most successful season at the time (later surpassed by the [[2009 New Orleans Saints season|2009]], [[2011 New Orleans Saints season|2011]] and [[2018 New Orleans Saints season|2018]] seasons), defeating the [[2006 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] 27–24 in the NFC divisional round before losing 39–14 to the [[2006 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]] in the [[NFC Championship Game]]. It was only the Saints' second time winning a playoff game and their first time appearing in an NFC Championship Game. The signing of Brees in March 2006 is believed by many as the greatest free agency signing in NFL history, tied with the [[Denver Broncos]]' signing of [[Peyton Manning]] 6 years later and the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]' signing of [[Tom Brady]] 14 years later.
* [[2008 Arizona Cardinals season|2008 Arizona Cardinals]] – The Cardinals had experienced many years of failure for much of the 20th century, not winning a single playoff game until [[1998 Arizona Cardinals season|1998]] and prior to that, qualified for the playoffs only 3 times since winning the [[NFL Championship]] in 1947. 2008 was an up and down year for the Cardinals, being blown out in a week 4 matchup against the [[2008 New York Jets season|New York Jets]], recording 7 turnovers in a 56–35 loss, while in a week 16 match up against the [[2008 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]], the Cardinals lost 47–7, despite the Patriots losing starter [[Tom Brady]] to a season-ending injury in the season opener. And finally, after many years of mediocrity in their 88-year existence, the Cardinals returned to the [[2008–09 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] for the first time in ten years with a 9–7 record (by virtue of winning the [[NFC West]] division title.) The Cardinals defeated the [[2008 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] 30–24 in overtime during the Wild Card round, the [[2008 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]] 33–13 in the Divisional Round, and the [[2008 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] 32–25 in the NFC championship game and advanced to play in [[Super Bowl XLIII]] against the [[2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]. It was the Cardinals' first time winning a playoff game at home since their [[1947 Chicago Cardinals season|1947 championship-winning season]], and only their second time winning a playoff game in franchise history. During the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIII, the Cardinals nearly pulled off a comeback win, coming from behind 20–7 to take a 23–20 lead, until Steelers wide receiver [[Santonio Holmes]] delivered a game-winning touchdown catch with less than a minute left to win the Steelers their sixth title in franchise history, and the Cardinals were unable to end their championship drought dating back to [[1947 Chicago Cardinals season|1947]]. After [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Chicago Cubs]] ended [[Curse of the Billy Goat|their 108-year championship drought]] by winning the [[2016 World Series]], the Cardinals currently hold the longest championship drought in the [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|five major sports leagues]] in North America as of 2019.
* [[2008 Miami Dolphins season|2008 Miami Dolphins]] – The Dolphins came off a league-worst 1–15 season that almost made them the first 0–16 team in the NFL, possibly due to the resignation of head coach [[Nick Saban]], the Dolphins passing on quarterback [[Drew Brees]], and the arrest of several players such as [[Fred Evans (defensive tackle)|Fred Evans]] and [[Kelly Campbell]]. Miami hired [[Dallas Cowboys]] assistant head coach [[Tony Sparano]] as their new head coach, replacing the fired [[Cam Cameron]]. Under their rookie head coach, the Dolphins started the season 0–2, but then used the [[Wildcat formation]] to upset the [[2008 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] on the road during Week 3, snapping their 20-game regular season winning streak that dated back to December 10, 2006, in which ironically, they were also beaten by the Dolphins. The Dolphins finished 11–5 and qualified for the [[2008–09 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] as the third seed in the AFC, and won the [[AFC East]], making them the only team in the NFL to win their division after winning only one game the season before. Despite the surprising turnaround, the Dolphins would fall to the [[2008 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]] in the AFC wild card round by a score of 27–9. Newly acquired quarterback [[Chad Pennington]] was named [[NFL Comeback Player of the Year]] and was tied for second for the 2008 AP NFL MVP with [[2008 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] running back [[Michael Turner (American football)|Michael Turner]].{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}
* [[2010 New York Jets season|2010 New York Jets]] – The Jets improved on their 9–7 record from last season, but failed to win their division for the first time since [[2002 New York Jets season|2002]], losing to the top-seeded [[2010 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] for the [[AFC East]] title. In a rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game, the Jets defeated the [[2010 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]] on the road, ending the Colts' [[Peyton Manning]] era. The Jets would also defeat the Patriots on the road (whom they lost to earlier in the season 45–3), and nearly defeated the [[2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] on the road in the AFC Championship Game, which ended their hopes of joining the 2005 Steelers, 2007 Giants, and 2010 Packers as the only NFL teams to win three straight playoff games on the road. They also failed to make their first Super Bowl since [[1968 New York Jets season|1968]], as well as play in the first Super Bowl between number 6 seeds. The 2010 Jets were led by the sophomore duo of [[Rex Ryan]] and [[Mark Sanchez]].
* [[2011 Detroit Lions season|2011 Detroit Lions]] – [[2008 Detroit Lions season|Three years after suffering the first 0–16 season in NFL history]], Detroit finished 10–6 and made the [[2011–12 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] for the first time since [[1999 Detroit Lions season|1999]]. Led by head coach [[Jim Schwartz]] and quarterback [[Matthew Stafford]], both of whom joined the team in [[2009 Detroit Lions season|2009]], Detroit posted their first winning season since [[2000 Detroit Lions season|2000]] and their first 10-win season since [[1995 Detroit Lions season|1995]], setting the new franchise record for most points scored at 474. Despite these successes, the Lions fell to the [[2011 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]] 45–28 in the wildcard round, extending Detroit's playoff win drought, having last won a playoff game in the [[1991–92 NFL playoffs]].
* [[2012 San Francisco 49ers season|2012 San Francisco 49ers]] – After quarterback [[Steve Young]]'s departure in 2000, the 49ers would make two more playoff appearances in [[2001 San Francisco 49ers season|2001]] and [[2002 San Francisco 49ers season|2002]] before spending the rest of the decade struggling, never finishing better than 0.500. In [[2011 San Francisco 49ers season|2011]], the 49ers hired former [[Stanford Cardinal football|Stanford]] head coach [[Jim Harbaugh]], who led the team to a 13–3 season and the No. 2 NFC seed at the [[2011–12 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]], defeating the [[2011 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]] 36–32 in the divisional round before losing 20–17 in overtime to the eventual [[Super Bowl XLVI]] champion [[2011 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] in the NFC Championship Game. In 2012, the 49ers started 6–2 before quarterback [[Alex Smith]] was injured, eventually prompting quarterback [[Colin Kaepernick]], who was drafted in 2011, to step in and finish out the season 11–4–1, earning the No. 2 NFC seed at the [[2012–13 NFL playoffs|NFL Playoffs]] once again. During the playoffs, they defeated the [[2012 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] 45–31 in the divisional round and the [[2012 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] 28–24 at the NFC Championship Game, overcoming a 24–14 deficit, and advanced to their first Super Bowl in [[1994 San Francisco 49ers season|18 years]]. They narrowly lost [[Super Bowl XLVII]] to the [[2012 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]] by a score of 34–31, also losing their place as the sole NFL team to stay undefeated in multiple Super Bowls.
* [[2016 Green Bay Packers season|2016 Green Bay Packers]] – After posting a 4–6 record through 10 games, star QB [[Aaron Rodgers]] led the Packers on one of the greatest in-season runs in NFL history to finish the season 10–6 and as division champions. Post-Week 11, Green Bay ran the table, riding an eight-game win streak into the playoffs all the way to the [[2016–17 NFL playoffs|NFC Championship Game]]. Along the way, they defeated the 11–5 [[2016 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] and downed the No. 1 seeded 13–3 [[2016 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] on the road with some late-game heroics. While they ultimately fell to the [[2016 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] in the conference championship, their comeback in the second half of the season is still regarded as one of the most sudden turnarounds ever.
* [[2016 Atlanta Falcons season|2016 Atlanta Falcons]] – The Falcons entered the [[2016–17 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] for the first time in four years with an 11–5 record and easily defeated the [[2016 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]] and [[2016 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] to advance to play in [[Super Bowl LI]] against the [[2016 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]. Despite holding a 25-point lead nearly midway through the third quarter, they ultimately [[Choke (sports)|squandered]] their chance to win the Super Bowl by blowing that lead, losing the [[coin toss]] for what would become the first-ever [[Overtime (sports)#National Football League|overtime]] period in a Super Bowl, and finally allowing a touchdown. The Falcons lost Super Bowl LI to the Patriots by a score of 34–28.
* [[2017 Buffalo Bills season|2017 Buffalo Bills]] – Last making the playoffs in [[1999 Buffalo Bills season|1999]], the Bills had struggled in the 21st century, only coming close to playoff contention three times in that span. Despite inconsistent performances throughout the season, the Bills clinched their first winning record since [[2014 Buffalo Bills season|2014]] and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since [[1999 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] in the final week of the regular season after a win over the [[2017 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]], plus the [[2017 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]] defeating the [[2017 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]] and ended an 18-year playoff drought. As the sixth seed in the playoffs, the Bills faced the [[2017 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville Jaguars]] in the Wild Card round, where they lost 10–3.
* [[2017 Jacksonville Jaguars season|2017 Jacksonville Jaguars]] – The Jaguars returned to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years and finished 10–6. Jacksonville qualified for the [[2017–18 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]] as the AFC's number 3 seeded team. Led by first-year head coach [[Doug Marrone]], the Jaguars defeated the [[2017 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] 10–3 in the AFC wild-card round. The Jaguars would then defeat their former divisional rival [[2017 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] 45–42 on the road in the AFC divisional round. In the AFC Championship Game, the Jaguars nearly defeated the defending Super Bowl champion [[2017 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] on the road. The Jaguars led 20–10 during the fourth quarter, but ultimately gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and lost the game 24–20. It was the Jaguars' first AFC Championship Game appearance since [[1999 Jacksonville Jaguars season|1999]] and they failed to become the first team since the [[2012 Baltimore Ravens season|2012 Baltimore Ravens]] to upset the Patriots on the road in the postseason.
* [[2018 Indianapolis Colts season|2018 Indianapolis Colts]] – The Colts qualified to play in the NFL playoffs for the first time since [[2014 Indianapolis Colts season|2014]] (their last postseason game being the infamous [[Deflategate]] game) with a 10–6 record. They were predicted to be the worst team in the AFC South division and started the season 1–5. They would win all but one of their games after that, the lone loss being a 6–0 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in Week 13, making it possible for [[Andrew Luck]], who was coming off a one-year injury, to compete in the playoffs. In the [[2018–19 NFL playoffs|NFL playoffs]], the Colts defeated the division rival [[2018 Houston Texans season|Houston Texans]] 21–7 on the road in the AFC wild-card round, before losing to the [[2018 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] 31–13 in the AFC divisional round. This season also marked the end of an era for the Colts, as Andrew Luck announced his retirement on August 24, 2019, after playing only 7 years in the league.
* [[2018 Philadelphia Eagles season|2018 Philadelphia Eagles]] – A year after winning their first Super Bowl title over the [[2017 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]], the Eagles had hopes of defending such title and winning consecutive Super Bowls for the first time since the Patriots did so in the [[2004 NFL season|2004 season]]. Quarterback [[Carson Wentz]], whom was sidelined during the final weeks of the 2017 season, returned from injury in Week 3 of the 2018 season. Additional injuries to key players and overall inconsistencies prevented the Eagles from executing fully, and they began the season 4–6, failing to improve on their 13–3 record from the preceding season. They were dealt some particularly horrifying losses in said start, topped off by a 48–7 loss to the [[2018 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]] on the road, which is the worst loss any defending Super Bowl champion has been dealt in NFL history. Not only did this leave their postseason hopes in grave peril, but they were on the brink of becoming the worst defending Super Bowl champions of all time. And facing the hardest remaining schedule in the league, they were heavily predicted to complete said collapse. Furthermore, a back injury after Week 14 bumped Wentz down as the Number 3 quarterback instead of being placed on the injured reserve, and reigning Super Bowl MVP [[Nick Foles]] would start for the remainder of the season. They upset the drastically favored [[2018 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] and won out to make the playoffs. From there, the Eagles upset the favored 3rd seeded [[2018 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]] in the Wild Card round, and in the divisional round nearly defeated the top-seeded aforementioned Saints, again on the road, as the Eagles led 14–0 during the 1st quarter, which would have been the Saints' first playoff loss at home since [[1992 New Orleans Saints season|1992]] and the first in the [[Sean Payton]]/[[Drew Brees]] era.
* [[2019 Green Bay Packers season|2019 Green Bay Packers]] – After two disappointing seasons (including an injury-plagued 2017 season and the 2018 season which quarterback [[Aaron Rodgers]] later revealed he played with a sprained [[Medial collateral ligament|MCL]]), and firing their head coach [[Mike McCarthy]] after 12 years, the Packers were not expected to fare much better in 2019. They hired Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator [[Matt LaFleur]] as their new head coach, the 15th head coach in franchise history. After finishing 13–3 for the first time since [[2007 Green Bay Packers season|2007]] (which was also [[Brett Favre]]'s final year with the Packers), the Packers won the [[NFC North]] for the first time in 3 years and in the playoffs, defeated the [[2019 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]] 28–23 but in the [[NFC Championship Game]], lost to the [[2019 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]], their 3rd playoff loss to the Niners in 8 years, and ending their hopes of returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in [[Super Bowl XLV|9 years]].
* [[2019 San Francisco 49ers season|2019 San Francisco 49ers]] – The 49ers had been in misery since former head coach [[Jim Harbaugh]] left the team to coach [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]] following the [[2014 San Francisco 49ers season|2014 season]]. Coming off a 4–12 record, the Niners would begin the season 8–0 for the first time since [[1990 San Francisco 49ers season|1990]], during the [[Joe Montana]]/[[Jerry Rice]] era. 3rd-year quarterback [[Jimmy Garoppolo]], whom the Niners traded from the [[New England Patriots]] for a 2018 second-round pick, was coming off a torn [[anterior cruciate ligament|ACL]] he suffered during Week 3 of the 2018 season. The Niners would finish the season 13–3 in the playoffs, they defeated the [[2019 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] 27–10 in the divisional round and the [[2019 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] 37–20 in the NFC Championship Game to make their first Super Bowl since the [[2012 San Francisco 49ers season|2012 season]]. The Niners ultimately lost to the [[2019 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] in [[Super Bowl LIV]] 31–20 despite holding a 20–10 fourth-quarter lead, ending their hopes of joining the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] and Patriots as the only teams to win 6 Super Bowl titles; the loss gave Kansas City their second Super Bowl win and their first NFL championship title. Kansas City's victory helped reduce the impact of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in San Francisco; had the Niners won the game, the number of deaths in the early days of the pandemic would have been larger.
* [[2019 Tennessee Titans season|2019 Tennessee Titans]] – The Titans came off a 9–7 season in which they missed the playoffs and their first under head coach [[Mike Vrabel]], whom previously served as Linebackers coach and defensive coordinator for the [[Houston Texans]] and played as a linebacker for the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], [[New England Patriots]], and [[Kansas City Chiefs]] from 1997 to 2010. The Titans began the season 2–4, and following a 16–0 shutout loss to the [[2019 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]] in Week 6, head coach Vrabel chose to bench quarterback [[Marcus Mariota]], the 2nd overall pick in the [[2015 NFL Draft|2015 Draft]] in favor for backup [[Ryan Tannehill]], whom the Titans traded for from the Dolphins during the offseason. Tannehill performed well going 7–2 at the helm, and qualified for the playoffs as the 6th seed in the AFC. In the playoffs the Titans defeated the defending Super Bowl champion [[2019 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] on the road 20–13 (their first win at [[Gillette Stadium]] since [[1993 Houston Oilers season|1993]]), the heavily favored number 1 seed [[2019 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]] 28–12 in the Divisional Round, ultimately losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion [[2019 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] in the [[AFC Championship Game]] 35–24, ending their hopes of returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in [[Super Bowl XXXIV|20 years]], or Ryan Tannehill returning to [[Hard Rock Stadium]] (the site of Super Bowl LIV) since the Dolphins traded him to the Titans.
* [[2020 Cleveland Browns season|2020 Cleveland Browns]] – After last making the playoffs in [[2002 Cleveland Browns season|2002]], the Browns would suffer 18 years of futility only having one winning season, going through multiple starting quarterbacks and head coaches, and going on a 1–31 stretch including a [[List of winless seasons|winless]] season in [[2017 Cleveland Browns season|2017]]. Following a 6–10 record from the previous season, the Browns fired head coach [[Freddie Kitchens]] and named [[Kevin Stefanski]] as their new head coach and named [[Andrew Berry (American football)|Andrew Berry]] as their new general manager. With Stefanski plus third-year quarterback [[Baker Mayfield]], the Browns finished the season at 11–5, their best record since [[1994 Cleveland Browns season|1994]], and clinched the number 6 seed in the postseason. In the playoffs, the Browns upset the [[2020 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] 48–37 after scoring 28 points in the first quarter alone following miscues from the Steelers. The win was the Browns first playoff win since 1994, their first road playoff win since [[1969 Cleveland Browns season|1969]], and snapped a 17-game losing streak in Pittsburgh which dated back to [[2003 Cleveland Browns season|2003]]. However the Browns would lose to the defending [[Super Bowl LIV]] champions and eventual AFC Champions [[2020 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] in the Divisional Round 22–17.
* [[2021 San Francisco 49ers season|2021 San Francisco 49ers]]<ref>{{cite web |title=California Rivalry: 49ers Cinderella season comes to an end in LA |url=https://www.kcra.com/article/49ers-season-ends/38932534 |website=KCRA |access-date=31 January 2022 |language=en |date=31 January 2022}}</ref> – Despite the 49ers starting 3–5, they finished the season on a 7–2 run, finishing the season with a 10–7 record and qualified for the playoffs after a one-year absence as the number six seed, in a comeback win over the [[2021 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] in Week 18. The 49ers began their playoff run by defeating the [[2021 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] 23–17 in the Wild Card round. They then stunned the top-seeded [[2021 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] 13–10 in the Divisional Round following a strong performance by the defense and special teams. However, their season came to an end with a 20–17 defeat against the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams in the NFC Championship Game, despite building a 17–7 fourth quarter lead.
* [[2021 Cincinnati Bengals season|2021 Cincinnati Bengals]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The story of the Cinderella Bengals |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/the-story-of-the-cinderella-bengals |website=NFL.com |access-date=14 February 2022}}</ref> – The Bengals had struggled greatly since the [[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|2015]] season, including going on a 6-25-1 stretch between [[2019 Cincinnati Bengals season|2019]]-[[2020 Cincinnati Bengals season|2020]]. Despite entering the 2021 season with little expectations, the Bengals, led by [[2020 NFL Draft|2020]] [[List of first overall National Football League Draft picks|first overall pick]] [[Joe Burrow]], [[Joe Mixon]], [[Ja'Marr Chase]], and third year coach [[Zac Taylor]], finished the season with a 10–7 record, good enough to win the [[AFC North]], and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. As the number 4 seed, the Bengals began their playoff run by defeating the [[2021 Las Vegas Raiders season|Las Vegas Raiders]] 26–19 in the Wild Card round, winning their first playoff game since [[1990 Cincinnati Bengals season|1990]], and ending what was the NFL's longest playoff win drought.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bengals end 32-year playoff drought, beat Raiders with dramatic defensive stand |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/bengals-end-32-year-playoff-drought-beat-raiders-with-dramatic-defensive-stand-005303573.html |website=sports.yahoo.com |access-date=16 January 2022}}</ref> The Bengals then upset the top-seeded [[2021 Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans]] 19–16 in the Divisional Round following an [[Evan McPherson]] go ahead field goal. This marked the Bengals first-ever road playoff win and allowed them to advance to the [[AFC Championship Game]] for the first time since [[1988 Cincinnati Bengals season|1988]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 NFL playoffs: What we learned from Bengals' win over Titans in Divisional Round |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/2021-nfl-playoffs-what-we-learned-from-bengals-win-over-titans-in-divisional-rou |website=NFL.com |access-date=14 February 2022}}</ref> Then, in the AFC Championship Game against the defending AFC Champion [[2021 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]], the Bengals rallied after being down 21–3 early, winning 27–24 in overtime on another McPherson game-winning field goal, advancing to [[Super Bowl LVI]], their third Super Bowl in franchise history and first in [[Super Bowl XXIII|33 years]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Chiefs vs. Bengals score: Cincinnati advances to 2022 Super Bowl with OT win sparked by second-half rally |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/chiefs-vs-bengals-score-cincinnati-advances-to-2022-super-bowl-with-ot-win-sparked-by-second-half-rally/live/ |website=CBSSports.com |access-date=14 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref> However, they lost to the [[2021 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] 23–20 on the Rams' home field of [[SoFi Stadium]], despite being the designated "home" team.
* [[2022 Seattle Seahawks season|2022 Seattle Seahawks]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Cinderella Men: 3 Seahawks that stepped up in 2022 |url=https://12thmanrising.com/2023/01/04/seahawks-cinderella-men/ |website=12th Man Rising |access-date=16 January 2023 |date=4 January 2023}}</ref> – After finishing the season 7-10 the [[2021 Seattle Seahawks season|previous season]] and trading away franchise quarterback [[Russell Wilson]] to the [[2022 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]] in March 2022,<ref>{{cite web |title=End Of An Era: Seahawks Trade Russell Wilson To Denver Broncos |url=https://www.seahawks.com/news/end-of-an-era-seahawks-trade-russell-wilson-to-denver-broncos |website=www.seahawks.com |access-date=17 March 2022}}</ref> the Seahawks weren't expected to compete in the NFC.<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 is going to hurt for Seahawks fans but it will be OK in the long run |url=https://12thmanrising.com/2022/04/01/seahawks-2022-hurt/ |website=12th Man Rising |access-date=16 January 2023 |date=1 April 2022}}</ref> After naming backup [[Geno Smith]] as the starter, the Seahawks surprised many as they began the season 6–3,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dator |first1=James |title=The Seahawks are the NFL’s biggest surprise by staying true to themselves |url=https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2022/10/31/23432100/geno-smith-seahawks-russell-wilson-nfl-winners-losers |website=SBNation.com |access-date=16 January 2023 |language=en |date=31 October 2022}}</ref> finishing the season with a 9–8 record and returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence after a win over the [[2022 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] in the final week of the regular season, and a [[2022 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]] win over the [[2022 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] later that day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carroll, Seahawks 'rewarded' with last playoff spot |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35410357/lions-comeback-win-packers-puts-seahawks-postseason |website=ESPN.com |access-date=16 January 2023 |language=en |date=9 January 2023}}</ref> However the Seahawks lost to their [[49ers–Seahawks rivalry|rival]] the [[2022 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] in the Wild Card round, falling 41–23 despite being up 17–16 at halftime.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kasabian |first1=Paul |title=Geno Smith, Seahawks Called Out by Twitter for 'Nightmare' 2nd Half in Loss to 49ers |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10061730-geno-smith-seahawks-called-out-by-twitter-for-nightmare-2nd-half-in-loss-to-49ers |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=16 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[2022 Jacksonville Jaguars season|2022 Jacksonville Jaguars]] – After last making the playoffs in [[2017 Jacksonville Jaguars season|2017]], Jacksonville would struggle in the next four years, including a 1–15 season in [[2020 Jacksonville Jaguars season|2020]], and a 3–14 season in [[2021 Jacksonville Jaguars season|2021]] where the Jaguars had a [[List of organizational conflicts in the NFL|turmoil season]] due to being in constant headlines for repeated scandals involving the team. Despite starting the season 3–7 in 2022, the Jags, led by [[2021 NFL Draft|2021]] [[List of first overall National Football League Draft picks|first overall pick]] [[Trevor Lawrence]] and [[Super Bowl LII|Super Bowl]] winning coach [[Doug Pederson]] had a midseason turnaround, winning six of their next seven games to finish the regular season 9–8, win the [[AFC South]] division, and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gene Frenette: Jaguars dance the night away, stealing AFC South title from Titans |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/sports/columns/gene-frenette/2023/01/08/cinderella-jaguars-sweep-titans-dancing-their-way-to-afc-south-title/69784444007/ |website=The Florida Times-Union |access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref> In the Wild Card round, Jacksonville rallied from a 27–0 deficit to defeat the [[2022 Los Angeles Chargers season|Los Angeles Chargers]] 31–30 for the largest comeback in franchise history and the third-largest in NFL postseason history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chargers blow 27-point lead in historic postseason loss to Jaguars: 'The toughest way that you can lose' |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/chargers-blow-27-point-lead-in-historic-postseason-loss-to-jaguars-the-toughest- |website=NFL.com |access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref> In the divisional round, the Jaguars lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion [[2022 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] 27–20.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chiefs defeat Jaguars, advance to fifth consecutive AFC Championship Game |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/chiefs-defeat-jaguars-advance-to-fifth-consecutive-afc-championship-game |website=NFL.com |access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref>
* [[2022 New York Giants season|2022 New York Giants]] – Since their [[Super Bowl XLVI]] victory in 2011, the Giants had struggled the next 11 years, only making the postseason [[2016 New York Giants season|once]], and going on a 19–45 span between [[2017 New York Giants season|2017]]-[[2021 New York Giants season|2021]]. After firing head coach [[Joe Judge (American football)|Joe Judge]] and general manager [[Dave Gettleman]] retiring, the Giants hired former [[Buffalo Bills|Bills]] offensive coordinator [[Brian Daboll]] and former Bills front office assistant [[Joe Schoen]]. With the two, including fourth-year quarterback [[Daniel Jones (American football)|Daniel Jones]] and fifth-year running back [[Saquon Barkley]], the Giants finished the season with a 9–7–1 record, having their first winning season and making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Giants began their postseason run by stunning the 13–4 [[2022 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] 31–24 in the Wild Card round, winning their first playoff game since their aforementioned Super Bowl victory.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Morgan |first1=Emmanuel |title=Giants Put Comeback Just Out of Vikings’ Reach |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/15/sports/football/giants-vikings-score.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=23 January 2023 |date=16 January 2023}}</ref> However the next week they lost to the top-seeded rival [[2022 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] in the Divisional round, 38–7.<ref>{{cite web |title=Daboll: Loss to Eagles 'crash landing' for Giants |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35501008/after-38-7-loss-giants-coach-brian-daboll-says-team-crash-landed |website=ESPN.com |access-date=23 January 2023 |language=en |date=22 January 2023}}</ref>

====College====
* [[2013 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn Tigers]] (2013) – After a disappointing 3–9 season in 2012, the Tigers came out of nowhere to win the SEC Championship. Their most memorable plays include a tipped Hail Mary pass that was caught by [[Ricardo Louis]] for a touchdown to beat Georgia and a Chris Davis touchdown return off a missed 57-yard field goal against Alabama as time expired in what is known as the "[[Kick Six]]". Auburn eventually reached the [[2014 BCS National Championship Game|BCS Championship Game]], but lost to [[2013 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]] 34–31 on a last-minute touchdown pass.
* [[2016 Western Michigan Broncos football team|Western Michigan Broncos]] (2016) – This was a historic season for the Broncos. They were led by fourth-year head coach [[P. J. Fleck]] and played their home games at [[Waldo Stadium]] as a member of the West Division of the [[Mid-American Conference]] (MAC). Led by senior offensive weapons [[Zach Terrell]] and future 1st round pick [[Corey Davis (wide receiver)|Corey Davis]], the Broncos completed their regular season undefeated and won the MAC West Division title. The Broncos finished conference play defeating the [[2016 Ohio Bobcats football team|Ohio Bobcats]] 29–23 in the [[2016 MAC Championship Game]], winning the school's first MAC championship title since 1988. WMU received an invitation to the [[2017 Cotton Bowl Classic (January)|2017 Cotton Bowl]] as the highest rated Group of Five team in the [[College Football Playoff]] (CFP). It was the first [[New Year's Six|New Years Six]] bowl appearance in school history (and second for a MAC team). The Broncos also won 10 games in a season for the first time in their 111-year football history. They lost to the No. 8 [[2016 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin Badgers]] in the game, 24–16. This season marked the last season at WMU for Fleck, as he would depart to be the new head coach of [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]].
* [[2021 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan Wolverines]] (2021) – Coming off a terrible COVID-shortened [[2020 Michigan Wolverines football team|2020 season]], Michigan had a 0% chance at betting odds to make the National Championship Game, let alone the Big Ten Championship Game. However, they defied the odds and went 12-1 overall and 8-1 for conference play, winning the Big Ten East Division by beating [[Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry|rival]] [[2021 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]] 42–27 to end an eight-game losing skid to the Buckeyes. The Wolverines faced off against [[2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]] in the [[2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game|2021 Big Ten Championship Game]]. They defeated the No. 23 Hawkeyes, 42–3 to qualify for that year's CFP. The run to defy the odds once more by going to the [[2022 College Football Playoff National Championship|National Championship Game]] was stopped by a 34–11 loss to the eventual champion [[2021 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia Bulldogs]] at the [[2021 Orange Bowl (December)|Orange Bowl]].
* [[2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati Bearcats]] (2021) - The Cincinnati Bearcats football team had seen consistent winning seasons in the [[American Athletic Conference]] under fifth-year head coach [[Luke Fickell]], though as a [[Group of Five conferences|Group of Five]] team, they had not received recognition as a national contender. After a loss in the [[2021 Peach Bowl (January)|Peach Bowl]] to the [[2020 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia Bulldogs]], the Bearcats had +15000 odds to win the [[2022 College Football Playoff National Championship|national championship]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 College Football Championship Odds |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2021-preseason-odds.html |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> and they debuted at 8 in the preseason AP poll. Cincinnati defeated [[2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]] on the road in Week 5, 24-13, and then won [[2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game|their second conference championship in a row]], 35-20 against [[2021 Houston Cougars football team|Houston]]. They finished at 4 in the CFP rankings, which made them the first Group of Five team to receive an invitation to the College Football Playoff. They lost to one-seed [[2021 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] in the [[2021 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl]], 27-6.
* [[2022 TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU Horned Frogs]] (2022) – In [[2021 TCU Horned Frogs football team|2021]], TCU was coming off a dismal 5–7 season, and against all odds bookmakers listed them 200–1 to win the [[2023 College Football Playoff National Championship|National Championship]]. However, first-season coach [[Sonny Dykes]]' team would shock the nation becoming the first Texas team to advance to the National Championship following a [[2022 Fiesta Bowl (December)|Fiesta Bowl]] win over the heavily favored [[2022 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan Wolverines]] by a score of 51–45. They entered the National Championship with a 13–1 record, winning all nine games and losing none in conference play. Hopes of a first national championship for the first time since 1938 would come to an end, as they suffered the biggest demolition in CFP history. [[2022 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]] would score a whopping 65 points on the Horned Frogs, with quarterback [[Stetson Bennett]] scoring four touchdowns and gaining 304 yards as the Bulldogs completed a perfect 15–0 season and were back-to-back national champions for the first time since the college football playoff system was instituted in 2014.

===Association football===
* [[Kashima Antlers]] ([[1993 J.League]]) Prior to joining the J.League as a founding member, the then named Sumitomo Metals FC was said by a board member of the JSL that they had an almost impossible chance of joining the J.League, but the combination of signing the legendary Brazilian player [[Zico (footballer)|Zico]], and Kashima approving [[Kashima Soccer Stadium|a soccer specific stadium]] for the club, this impossible chance turned into reality. They won the Suntory Series (1st stage of the league), but lost the finals to NICOS Series (2nd stage) winners [[Tokyo Verdy|Verdy Kawasaki]], 3–1 on aggregate, after a draw in the second game. However, their first piece of silverware, the 1996 title, would swing the floodgates wide open, and began the dominant era for Kashima Antlers, going on to be remembered as Japan's greatest professional soccer team.
* [[Adelaide United FC|Adelaide United]] ([[2008 AFC Champions League]]) Adelaide United became the first Australian club to reach the knockout round of the AFC Champions League. In the quarter finals they defeated the heavily favoured Japanese champions [[Kashima Antlers]]. They then beat Uzbekistani champions [[FC Bunyodkor]] in the semi finals, before eventually being beaten in the [[2008 AFC Champions League Final|final]] by Japanese club [[Gamba Osaka]].
* [[Real Madrid Castilla]] ([[1979–80 Copa del Rey]]) Castilla reached the final of the [[1979–80 Copa del Rey]]. During their cup run, they beat four Primera División teams, including [[Hércules CF|Hércules]], [[Athletic Bilbao]], [[Real Sociedad]] and [[Sporting de Gijón]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/05/19/when-real-madrid-castilla-reached-the-copa-del-rey-final-and-played-in-europe/ |title=When Real Madrid Castilla reached the Copa del Rey final and played in Europe |work=[[These Football Times]] |date=19 May 2016 |access-date=17 May 2017 |last=McTear |first=Euan }}</ref> The latter two eventually finished second and third in the Primera División. In the [[1980 Copa del Rey Final|final]], they played Real Madrid but lost 6–1. Because Real also won the Primera División, however, Castilla qualified for the [[1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup]]. Despite beating [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] 3–1 in the opening game at the [[Santiago Bernabéu Stadium|Santiago Bernabéu]], they lost the return 5–1 after extra time and went out in the first round.
* [[Calais RUFC]] ([[1999–2000 Coupe de France]])<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52553649 Calais Racing Union: The amateur team that went to Coupe de France final], Phil Dawkes, BBC Sport, 7 May 2020</ref>
* [[Deportivo Alavés]] ([[2000–01 UEFA Cup]])
* [[Associação Desportiva São Caetano]] – ([[Copa João Havelange|2000 Brazilian national championship]], [[2001 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|2001]] and [[Copa Libertadores 2002|2002]]) In 2000, the [[Copa João Havelange|Brazilian national championship]] was contested in a rather unusual way. According to previous credentials, teams would play in the First (best teams), Second or Third Division; São Caetano played in the Second. The difference was that, after all Divisions were finished, a mini tournament would gather representatives from all of them. São Caetano was runner-up of the Second Division and eventually they entered the final against [[Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama|Vasco da Gama]]. The first match ended as a draw. During the second, the match was suspended due to security concerns. Vasco petitioned the league for a third match, which Vasco went on to win. São Caetano had another strong campaign in 2001, they reached the final against [[Clube Atlético Paranaense|Atlético Paranaense]]. Once again losing the championship. In [[Copa Libertadores 2002|2002]], São Caetano was finalist of [[Copa Libertadores]] losing the final to [[Olimpia Asunción|Olimpia]] of [[Paraguay]] on penalties.
* [[A.S. Monaco]] ([[2003–04 UEFA Champions League]]) – The side based in [[Monaco]] and representing the [[French Football Association]] were qualified for the group stage where they faced against the Spanish minnows, [[Deportivo La Coruña]], [[PSV Eindhoven]] and [[AEK Athens]] in group B. With being finished second of the group, they advanced to the quarterfinals by beating the [[Russian Football Union|Russian]] side, [[FC Lokomotiv Moscow|Lokomotiv Moscow]] with an [[Away goals rule|away goal]] despite being tied 2–2 on aggregate. As they lost to [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] on the road at the first leg, 4–2, they came back from the death on the second leg at home by winning 3–1, thanks to [[Ludovic Giuly]]'s game-winning goal to pull off the upset against the Spanish giants and send them to the semifinal where they defeated [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] in the next round, 5–3 to pull off the another upset in the competition. However, they lost to the eventual winners, [[FC Porto|Porto]], 3–0 in the [[2004 UEFA Champions League Final|final]]. This marked the first team from [[Monaco]] to reach the European Cup final and the second French team to do so since [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] who won the first title under the Champions League era in [[1993 UEFA Champions League Final|1993]].
* [[Bradford City F.C.|Bradford City]] ([[2012–13 Football League Cup]]) – Bradford City, then in [[EFL League Two|League Two]], knocked out three Premier League sides, [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic]] in the fourth round, [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in the fifth round and [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] in the semi final. However, they lost the [[2013 Football League Cup Final|final]] 5–0 to [[Swansea City F.C.|Swansea City]].
* [[Vegalta Sendai]] ([[2011 J.League Division 1]]) Following the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami]], and with the club being said to be relegation favorites, Vegalta went for 11 straight wins, the first being a win at the [[Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium|Todoroki Athletics Stadium]] against [[Kawasaki Frontale]], in which they put up a Japanese banner that said that they would "never lose a game until their town was rebuilt", which ended in a 1–0 loss to [[Shimizu S-Pulse]], then the worst happened, when they went 9 straight games, which either ended with a loss or a draw, plummeting the club to 10th from 2nd, but they rebounded, winning 13 of their last 14 games to finish 4th. They would improve the following year, but lost out the championship to [[Sanfrecce Hiroshima]], after losing a game to [[Albirex Niigata]].
* [[Club Atlético Tigre]] ([[2008–09 Argentine Primera División season|2008 Apertura]], [[2011–12 Argentine Primera División season|2012 Clausura]] and [[2012 Copa Sudamericana]]) – For the [[2008–09 Argentine Primera División season|2008 Apertura]], Tigre was one goal away from becoming champion, but finished runner-up again. The club finished with a total of 39 points, tied for first place along with [[San Lorenzo de Almagro|San Lorenzo]] and [[Boca Juniors]], but ends as runner-up after playing a historic triangular final. It must be considered that the AFA modified, in the midst of their dispute, the rules of this tournament. Originally it had established that in the event of a tie for first place, the champion would be decided according to head-to-head results between the teams occupying that place. Tigre defeated [[San Lorenzo de Almagro|San Lorenzo]] and [[Boca Juniors]], both as visitors, so it was appropriate to award the club the title. However, with the imposed modification, the triangular had to be disputed. In [[2011–12 Argentine Primera División season|2012 Clausura]] the club was runner-up in the [[Argentine Primera División|Primera Division]] again. Tigre started the season thinking about not being in the relegation table, but ended up exceeding the expectations by fighting for the league title until the last date. At the end of that same year, after eliminating Colombian side [[Millonarios F.C.|Millonarios]] in the semifinals of the [[2012 Copa Sudamericana]], it reached its first international final in its history, where the club lost to [[São Paulo FC|São Paulo]] in [[2012 Copa Sudamericana Finals|the finals]].
* [[Atlético Madrid]] ([[2013–14 UEFA Champions League]]) – Under the second year under [[Diego Simeone]], they were drawn group G against the [[Russian Football Union|Russia]]'s [[Zenit St. Petersburg]], 2-time titleholders, [[FC Porto]] and [[Austria Wien]] after finishing third at last season's [[La Liga]] behind their rivals, [[FC Barcelona]] and [[Real Madrid]]. With being finished on the top of the group, they managed to take a 1–0 lead on the road against [[AC Milan]] in the first leg of the round of 16 and then thrashed 4–1 at home on the second leg to pull off the upset against 7-time European champions to clinch to the quarterfinals against their [[Spanish Football Association|Spanish]] rivals, Barcelona. However, they were drawn at [[Camp Nou]], 1–1 in the first leg, and surged the comeback against [[Lionel Messi]] and company at home, 1–0 on the second leg to send his side to the semifinal for the first time since 1974 against [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]. Despite with a goalless draw in [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]] in the first leg, they finished the game, 3–1 to pull off the another upset of the competition on the second leg to send them to the first European Cup final under his managerial career. Unfortunately in the [[2014 UEFA Champions League Final|final]], they lost 4–1 after the [[Overtime (sports)#Association football|extra time]] despite they managed a 1–0 lead against their crosstown rivals, Real Madrid with minutes away from lifting the European Cup. This achievement marked the first European Cup final appearance since [[1974 European Cup Final|1974]] against [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]].
* [[Querétaro F.C.|Querétaro]] ([[2014–15 Liga MX season#Torneo Clausura|Clausura 2015]])
* [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] ([[2017–18 UEFA Champions League]]) – After 13 years of the [[2005 UEFA Champions League Final|miraculous triumph in Istanbul]], Liverpool qualified for the Champions League for the first time in five seasons through finishing fourth in the [[2016–17 Premier League]], a point ahead of [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]. After overcoming [[TSG 1899 Hoffenheim]] in the play-off round, the Reds advanced to the group stage, where they were drawn into Group E. After back to back draws with [[Sevilla FC|Sevilla]] and [[FC Spartak Moscow]], they got ten points from their remaining four matches to seal top spot in the group, which includes two 7–0 wins over Spartak and [[NK Maribor]]. In the knockout stage, they first trounced [[FC Porto]] with a 5–0 win in the round of 16. They were then drawn against a [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] side which resoundingly won the [[2017–18 Premier League]] with 100 points, being the underdogs despite a 4–3 home win against them earlier in the season. However, a 3–0 home win and a 2–1 away win followed, which sent them into the semi finals 5–1 on aggregate. After grinding out a 7–6 aggregate win over [[A.S. Roma]] in the semi finals, the Reds lost the [[2018 UEFA Champions League Final|final]] 3–1 to the defending champions [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]] after an injury to Egyptian winger [[Mohamed Salah]], and two goalkeeping errors by [[Loris Karius]].
* [[Les Herbiers VF]] ([[2017–18 Coupe de France]]) – On 17 April 2018, Les Herbiers defeated fellow third-division side [[FC Chambly Oise|Chambly]] to reach the [[2018 Coupe de France Final|final]] of the [[Coupe de France]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/football/coupe-de-france/direct-coupe-de-france-suivez-la-demi-finale-les-herbiers-chambly-5702395|title=Coupe de France. Ils l'ont fait ! Les Herbiers joueront en finale au Stade de France|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref> Les Herbiers upset second-division [[RC Lens|Lens]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2018/02/27/france/coupe-de-france/les-herbiers-vf/racing-club-de-lens/2736705/|title=Les Herbiers vs. Lens – 27 February 2018|publisher=Soccerway|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref> in the quarterfinals and [[AJ Auxerre|Auxerre]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2018/02/06/france/coupe-de-france/association-de-la-jeunesse-auxerroise/les-herbiers-vf/2723370/|title=Auxerre vs. Les Herbiers – 6 February 2018|publisher=Soccerway|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref> in the round of 16 en route to the final, making their run to the final without facing a first-division team.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43779077|title=Les Herbiers 2-0 Chambly|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> Les Herbiers lost the final 2–0 to [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]] on 8 May 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/soccer/report?gameId=510108 |title=Paris Saint-Germain win Coupe de France to secure domestic treble|date=8 May 2018 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref>
* [[Vietnam national under-23 football team|Vietnam U-23]] ([[2018 AFC U-23 Championship]])
* [[Tajikistan national under-17 football team|Tajikistan U-16]] ([[2018 AFC U-16 Championship]])
* [[Croatia national football team|Croatia]] ([[2018 FIFA World Cup]]) – Despite a poor showing in their friendly matches, Croatia began their 2018 World Cup campaign by going undefeated in the 3-game group stage against [[Nigeria national football team|Nigeria]], [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] and [[Iceland national football team|Iceland]]. Although it had been [[1998 FIFA World Cup|twenty years]] since the team ever won a knockout match in a World Cup, the Croatians defeated the [[Denmark national football team|Danish]] and the hosting [[Russia national football team|Russians]] with back-to-back [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|shootout]] wins, an unprecedented accomplishment, to reach the semifinals against [[England national football team|England]], which they also defeated in overtime. After having to win three straight matches beyond regulation in the knockout stage, the Croatians came up short in the finals against the [[France national football team|French]], in a 4–2 defeat. It was the Croatians' first time making the finals since the nation's breakup from [[Yugoslavia]] in 1992.
* [[Oita Trinita]] ([[2021 Emperor's Cup]]) – Oita Trinita, who had a rollercoaster in the 2010s, going from [[J.League Cup]] champions in 2008, to relegation to J2 in 2009, then promotion to J1 again in 2010, then relegation to J3 by 2016, and all the way to J1 again by 2019, entered the 2021 Emperor's Cup in the second round as one of 21 J1 clubs of that season. They won their first matchup against [[Honda Lock SC]], 3–2, in extra time, then shut out [[Fukui United FC]], 2–0. In the fourth round, they defeated J2 club [[Thespakusatsu Gunma]], 2–1, in extra time. They proceeded to defeat fellow J1 club [[Júbilo Iwata]] in the quarterfinal stage, 2–0. Their toughest challenge was to follow, going into the semifinals against defending champions [[Kawasaki Frontale]]. But in the midst of that, just 1 week before their semis matchup, they were confirmed to be relegated to J2 for [[2022 J2 League|2022]], finishing 18th that season. Unbelievably, against all odds, Trinita defeated Frontale, 4–5 on penalty shootout after the game was tied, 1-1. They would make their first [[2021 Emperor's Cup Final|Emperor's Cup Final]] in club history, but lost, 2–1 against [[Urawa Red Diamonds]].
* [[Royale Union Saint-Gilloise|Union Saint-Gilloise]] ([[2021–22 Belgian First Division A|2021-2022 Belgian First Division A]]) – Under the management of [[Felipe Mazzu]], Saint-Gilles managed to promote to the Belgian [[Belgian First Division A|First Division]] after the 20–21 season. Immediately the newcomers won their first matches, becoming unexpected leaders in points. Since then, they never left first place and are expected to end the classical part of the competition as winners and however, they lost to [[Club Brugge]] in the play-off final to end their Cinderella run for being conceded by two goals.
* [[Morocco national football team|Morocco]] ([[2022 FIFA World Cup]]) – Morocco played to a scoreless draw with Croatia, the defending World Cup runner-ups, to begin their 2022 World Cup group stage. The Atlas Lions then defeated Belgium and Canada by respective 2–0 and 2–1 scores to advance to the knockout stage. After playing to a scoreless draw after 90 minutes of regulation time and 30 minutes of extra time to begin the knockout stage, Morocco shut out Spain 3–0 in the penalty shootout. The Moroccans then upset Portugal 1–0 in the quarterfinals before losing to the defending World Cup champions France 2–0, setting up a rematch with Croatia for third place, ultimately losing 2–1.

===Australian rules football===
* [[Greater Western Sydney Giants]] ([[2019 AFL season|2019]]) – The Giants, who finished with the worst regular season record in the [[Australian Football League|AFL]] during the first two seasons of its existence, qualified for the [[2019 AFL finals series|finals series]] after finishing sixth in the regular season standings with a record of 13–9.<ref name="snowday">{{cite web |last1=Healy |first1=Jonathan |title=Abominable snowmen: Giants sink to record low in Hawk avalanche |url=https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/21/gws-v-haw#/match-report |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809125620/https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/21/gws-v-haw#/match-report |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 9, 2019 |website=AFL.com.au |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Curley |first1=Adam |title=Dogs pile on last 12 goals to smash stumbling Giants |url=https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/22/gws-v-wb#/match-report |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818083030/https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/22/gws-v-wb#/match-report |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 18, 2019 |website=AFL.com.au |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> The team had never been to the [[AFL Grand Final|Grand Final]] throughout its existence, as it had lost two preliminary finals in the previous three seasons. However, they upset [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] in the preliminary final to advance to the Grand Final for the first time in the franchise's history.<ref name="almosthome">{{cite web |last1=McGowan |first1=Marc |title=Gargantuan: Depleted Giants shock Pies to reach first Grand Final |url=https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/26/coll-v-gws#/match-report |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915074443/https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/26/coll-v-gws#/match-report |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2019 |website=AFL.com.au |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> After having to win two straight matches on the road (against the [[Brisbane Lions]] and Collingwood) by less than five points,<ref name="gettingwarmer">{{cite web |last1=Whiting |first1=Michael |title=Great escape: Epic finish puts Giants into prelim against Pies |url=https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/25/bl-v-gws#/match-report |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915074440/https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/25/bl-v-gws#/match-report |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2019 |website=AFL.com.au |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> the Giants lost to [[Richmond Football Club|Richmond]] by 89 points in the [[2019 AFL Grand Final]] (who had won their second premiership in three years).

===Baseball===

====Major League Baseball====
* [[1995 Seattle Mariners season|1995 Seattle Mariners]] – The Mariners, who had never made the playoffs previously in their 19-season history, were just 51–50 and trailed the [[1995 California Angels season|California Angels]] by 12.5 games at the conclusion of play on August 15. Off the field, their ineptitude found them struggling to find support for a new stadium to replace the aging [[Kingdome]], which made relocation seem likely. However, Seattle rallied to go 27–16 the rest of the way, finishing the season tied with California, who collapsed down the stretch, at 78–66. After easily winning the tiebreaker, Seattle trailed the best-of-5 [[1995 American League Division Series|ALDS]] 2–0 to the [[1995 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]], but rallied to win the final 3 games at home, capped by Hall of Famer [[Edgar Martinez]]'s walk-off double in the 11th inning of Game 5. However, the Cinderella ride ended in the [[1995 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], where the Mariners lost to the [[1995 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] in 6 games. However, the playoff run did convince the [[Washington (state)|Washington]] State Legislature that the team was wanted in the region, and they approved an alternative financing package for a new stadium, [[T-Mobile Park|Safeco Field]], which opened 4 years later.
* [[2000 Oakland Athletics season|2000 Oakland Athletics]] – The Athletics end an eight-year postseason drought in what would begin the "[[Moneyball]] era" of the team being greatly competitive, lasting from 2000 to 2006. For 2000 the Athletics made the American League Division Series for the first time since 1992, losing to the [[New York Yankees]].
* [[2005 Houston Astros season|2005 Houston Astros]] – After suffering decades of mediocrity and misfortune, including a gut-wrenching losses in the [[1980 National League Championship Series|1980]], [[1986 National League Championship Series|1986]], and [[2004 National League Championship Series|2004]] NLCS, the Astros finally won their first pennant in 2005. Despite starting the season 15-30 and 5th in the NL Central, they went on a 74–43 run and finished the season 89-73 and qualified for the Postseason as the NL Wild Card. They beat the [[2005 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] in the [[2005 National League Division Series|NLDS]] on a walk-off home run by [[Chris Burke (baseball)|Chris Burke]] in an 18-inning classic Game 4. They then got revenge on the [[2005 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]] in the [[2005 National League Championship Series|NLCS]]. Their Cinderella run sadly ended when they were swept by the [[2005 Chicago White Sox season|White Sox]] in the [[2005 World Series|World Series]]. This was their last Postseason appearance as a National League team and they wouldn't return to the postseason until [[2015 American League Wild Card Game|2015]], and wouldn't win another Pennant until their first World Series championship in [[2017 World Series|2017]].
* [[2007 Colorado Rockies season|2007 Colorado Rockies]]<ref name="2007Rockies">{{Cite web |url=http://www.danholmes.com/sports/the-greatest-cinderella-teams-of-all-time/ |title=The greatest Cinderella teams of all-time &#124; D a N H O L M e S . C O M |access-date=2016-12-04 |archive-date=2016-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220211530/http://www.danholmes.com/sports/the-greatest-cinderella-teams-of-all-time/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> – On September 16, 2007, the Rockies possessed a win–loss record of 76–72 and were 4 1/2 games out of the NL Wild Card. However, Colorado went on a hot streak, winning 13 of their last 14 games of the season to force a [[2007 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game|one-game playoff]] for the wild card berth, which they won by a score of 9–8 in 13 innings against the [[2007 San Diego Padres season|San Diego Padres]]. Back-to-back sweeps of the [[2007 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] in the [[2007 National League Division Series|NLDS]] and the [[2007 Arizona Diamondbacks season|Arizona Diamondbacks]] in the [[2007 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] gave the Rockies their first ever pennant. However, the team's fortune then ended, as they were swept in the [[2007 World Series|World Series]] by the [[2007 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]].
* [[2008 Tampa Bay Rays season|2008 Tampa Bay Rays]]<ref name="2008Rays">{{cite news|title=Amazin' turnabout; Rays' rise evokes memories of Mets' gripping run to '69 title|date=October 22, 2008|first=Paul|last=Sullivan|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Bossman,' DickieV boost Rays' Upton|date=October 23, 2008|first=Seth|last=Livingstone|newspaper=USA Today|page=C4}}</ref> – The Rays were the long-time doormats of the [[American League East]], having lost at least 91 games in each of their 10 years of existence. After a 66–96 campaign in {{mlby|2007}}, the Rays broke out in [[2008 Tampa Bay Rays season|2008]], compiling a 97–65 record to clinch the AL East title. They went on to defeat the [[2008 Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox]] in the [[2008 American League Division Series|ALDS]] and the [[2008 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] in a seven-game [[2008 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], but lost the [[2008 World Series|World Series]] in five games to the [[2008 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]]—the city of Philadelphia had a championship after [[Curse of Billy Penn|25 years]].<ref>{{cite news|title=A great finish saved face|date=October 30, 2008|first=Nick|last=Cafardo|author-link=Nick Cafardo|newspaper=Boston Globe|page=C2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Phils end Rays' magic|date=October 30, 2008|first=Josh|last=Robbins|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|page=D8|quote=This Cinderella season did not end happily ever after...The Tampa Bay Rays' Cinderella season is over.}}</ref>
* [[2014 Kansas City Royals season|2014 Kansas City Royals]]<ref name="2014Royals">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/will-royals-cap-cinderella-story-fairytale-ending|title=Will the Royals cap their Cinderella story with a fairytale ending?|date=21 October 2014|website=PBS NewsHour|access-date=10 June 2022}}</ref> – The Royals, who had not qualified for the postseason since [[1985 Kansas City Royals season|1985]], won the [[2014 American League Wild Card Game|AL Wild Card Game]] against the [[2014 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]] through two late-inning comebacks to advance to the [[2014 American League Division Series|ALDS]]. From there, they swept the [[2014 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim season|Los Angeles Angels]] (which featured American League MVP [[Mike Trout]]) and the [[2014 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]] in the [[2014 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] to advance to play in the [[2014 World Series|World Series]], which they lost in seven games to the [[2014 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]].
* [[2015 Toronto Blue Jays season|2015 Toronto Blue Jays]] - The Blue Jays had not reached the Postseason since 1993, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Since then, they had never won more than 88 games in a season and had only finished second in their division once. Despite boasting a talented roster in 2015, they struggled through the first half of the season, with a mediocre 45–46 record heading into the All-Star Break. On July 28 they pulled off a blockbuster trade with Colorado, adding shortstop [[Troy Tulowitzki]] and pitcher [[LaTroy Hawkins]] to their roster. A few days later they acquired pitcher [[David Price (baseball)|David Price]] from the Tigers, and later traded for [[Mark Lowe]] and [[Ben Revere]] before the trade deadline. These improvements to their already talented roster spurred the Blue Jays to a 48-23 finish, ending the regular season atop the AL East with a 93–69 record and clinching their first Postseason berth in 21 seasons. They faced the [[2015 Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers]] in the division series and fell behind two games to none. They rallied to force a winner-takes-all Game 5 and thanks to a 3-run home run hit by [[Jose Bautista]] in the seventh inning, completed the comeback to return to the championship series, facing the [[2015 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]]. They lost the series 4 games to 2, ending their dramatic Postseason run.
* [[2019 New York Yankees season|2019 New York Yankees]] – The Yankees, who had not won a division title since 2012, and a championship since 2009, set an MLB record for most players put on the injured list in one season. Despite that, they still finished with a 103–59 record, clinching the AL East for the first time in 7 years. They went on to sweep the [[2019 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]] in the division series before losing to the [[2019 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]] in the ALCS in a dramatic Game 6 by way of a [[Jose Altuve]] walk-off home run. They also become just the second team in MLB History to hit 300 home runs in a season, joining that year's Twins.
* [[2020 San Diego Padres season|2020 San Diego Padres]] – The Padres entered the season having not made the postseason since 2006 or having finished with a winning record since 2010. Thanks to the emergence of young star shortstop [[Fernando Tatis, Jr.]], pitcher [[Dinelson Lamet]] and center fielder [[Trent Grisham]], the re-emergence of once face of the franchise [[Wil Myers]], as well as some free agents from prior years [[Manny Machado]] and [[Eric Hosmer]] starting to play up to their contracts, the Padres finished the pandemic-shortened season at 37–23, qualifying for the playoffs as the NL West runner-up. After losing Game 1 of the [[2020 National League Wild Card Series|NL Wild Card Series]] to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Padres rallied from a 6–2 deficit in Game 2 thanks to home runs from Tatis, Machado and Myers, and then won the winner-take-all Game 3 4–0. However, injuries to Lamet and fellow pitcher [[Mike Clevinger]] ultimately did the Padres in, as they were swept by their division rival and eventual World Series champion [[2020 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] in 3 games in the [[2020 National League Division Series|NLDS]].
* [[2020 Houston Astros season|2020 Houston Astros]] – The Astros began the COVID-shortened [[2020 Major League Baseball season|2020 season]] on the heels of a highly publicized [[Houston Astros sign stealing scandal|sign stealing scandal]] that resulted in the gutting of their entire leadership structure, with firings of general manager [[Jeff Luhnow]] and manager [[A. J. Hinch]] as well as other members of the front office. They were also fined and stripped of certain draft picks, while the players felt a season-long onslaught from the media and angry fans. Then, just one game into the season, following his six-inning winning appearance on Opening Day, ace [[Justin Verlander]] injured his right forearm, placing him out indefinitely and later necessitating Tommy John surgery. This meant he was ultimately ruled out for not just the entire season, but for all of the next year. Additionally, sophomore phenom and 2019 [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] designated hitter [[Yordan Alvarez]] was ruled out for the season after a late start and only nine plate appearances. This proved to be a devastating blow to their batting lineup. Late starts to the season by other key players (especially members of the pitching rotation and bullpen) like [[José Urquidy]] due to COVID protocols and travel restrictions caused the Astros roster to be decimated for the vast majority of the season. As a result, first-year manager [[Dusty Baker]] shepherded them through the 60-game abbreviated season with a 29–31 record, by far their worst showing throughout their recent history as a perennial powerhouse. Then, during the postseason, they flipped a switch and instantly caught fire, sweeping the No. 3 seed [[2020 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]] in the newly added Wild Card round before easily dispatching their No. 2 seeded rival and [[American League West|AL West]] champion [[2020 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]] in four games in the divisional series. In the [[2020 American League Championship Series|2020 ALCS]], the Astros went down three games to none against the No. 1 seeded [[2020 Tampa Bay Rays season|Tampa Bay Rays]], before thundering back with three dramatic victories in a row to tie the series at 3–3. Ultimately, the Astros lost a close and competitive Game 7 by a score of 4–2 after coming within a late-inning hit of tying the game after having initially been down 4–0. This prevented the Astros from advancing to their third World Series in four years, in what would have been a vaunted re-match of the [[2017 World Series]] with their arch-nemesis [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]. Regardless, what amounted to a mediocre regular season quickly turned into the Astros' fourth consecutive league championship appearance, a franchise record, and one of the most exciting come-from-behind postseason upset campaigns in recent memory. This also marked the furthest any MLB team with a losing regular season record has advanced in the playoffs.
* [[2021 San Francisco Giants season|2021 San Francisco Giants]] – The Giants came out of nowhere to finish with the best record in baseball at 107–55, even better than the Dodgers. However, they lost to the Dodgers in the 2021 NLDS, which ended in a controversial check swing strike call by 1st base umpire [[Gabe Morales]].
* [[2022 San Diego Padres season|2022 San Diego Padres]] – The Padres finished the regular season with 89 wins, good enough for the National League's #5 seed in the postseason. In the wild card series, San Diego defeated the #4 seed [[2022 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] on the road in three games. The Padres then upset the 111-win [[2022 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] in four games in the NL Divisional series. However, the Padres' run ended with the NL Championship series loss to the #6 seed [[2022 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] in five games.
* [[2022 Philadelphia Phillies season|2022 Philadelphia Phillies]] – The Phillies started off their 2022 campaign on a bad note, thanks to multiple injuries, and poor team defense. They ultimately fired manager [[Joe Girardi]] after a 22–29 start to the season. [[Rob Thomson]], who was named the team's interim manager, would serve well for the club, leading them to an impressive 65-46 finish. With the expanded playoffs starting in the 2022 Major League Baseball season, the Phillies were able to clinch a #6 seed in the National League, with an 87–75 record (.537 win percentage). The Phillies were also the final team to clinch a playoff berth that season, becoming the 3rd wild card team. The Phillies punched their ticket back to the postseason for the first time since [[2011 MLB season|2011]]. They went on to sweep the 93-win, [[NL Central]] division winning [[2022 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]], 2 games to none in the [[2022 National League Wild Card Series|NL Wild Card Series]], highlighted by scoring six runs after trailing 2–0 in the ninth inning of Game 1, and [[Zach Wheeler]] and [[Aaron Nola]] combining for 13 scoreless innings pitched in the two games. They then moved on to face the defending [[2021 World Series|World Series champions]], the [[2022 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]], who clinched the 2nd seed in the National League. The Braves, who were attempting to repeat as World Series champions, were stunned by the Phillies in 4 games, highlighted by the Phillies routing the Braves a combined 17–4 in Games 3 & 4 in Philadelphia. In the NLCS, they were met by the 89-win [[2022 San Diego Padres season|San Diego Padres]], who had previously put on a Cinderella run of their own to that point, in taking down the 101-win [[2022 New York Mets season|New York Mets]], and 111-win [[2022 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]], respectively. The Phillies would go on to beat the Padres in 5 games, capped off by [[Bryce Harper]] hitting a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 5, clinching their first NL-Pennant win since 2009. With their pennant win secured, Rob Thomson became the first Canadian born and raised manager to lead a Major League Baseball team to the World Series. In the [[2022 World Series|World Series]], the Phillies would face the 106-win [[2022 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]], in the, attempting to win their first title since 2008, and their 3rd in franchise history. In game 1, the Astros jumped out to a 5 to nothing lead, thanks to two home runs from Astros’ outfielder [[Kyle Tucker]], but managed to tie the game in the fifth inning, thanks to an implosion by Astros ace [[Justin Verlander]]. The game would remain tied entering the bottom of the ninth inning with the Houston having the winning run at second and two outs, [[Nick Castellanos]] made a game-saving catch to send the game into extra innings. In the 10th inning, Phillies catcher [[J.T. Realmuto]] hit a solo shot to help the Phillies take game one in Houston. The Astros tied the series in game 2, sending the teams back to Philadelphia for games 3, 4 and 5. In game 3, the Phillies set a World Series record, by hitting 5 home runs in one game, helping to lead the team to a 7–0 win, and to retake the series lead at 2–1. In game 4, another World Series record was set, as Astros starter [[Cristian Javier]], and the Houston bullpen combined to throw only the second no-hitter in World Series history, and the first combined-no hitter ever. Their 5–0 game 4 win would again tie the series at 2-2. Game 5 was a close one, but the Astros edged out the Phillies, thanks in part to a huge game saving catch by Astros center fielder [[Chas McCormick]], to and to give the Astros their first lead of the series (3-2), heading back to Houston. Verlander, at 39 years old earned his first career World Series win, becoming the oldest starter do so in game 5. In game 6, the Phillies jumped out to a 1–0 lead in the top of the 6th inning, from a solo shot by [[Kyle Schwarber]]. However, [[Yordan Álvarez]] hit a clutch 3-run home run in the bottom half of the 6th. The Astros never looked back, as the bullpen shut down the Phillies bats, holding their offense to only 3 hits. The Astros won the game 6, 4–1, and clinched their second World Series title in franchise history.

====College====
* [[Stony Brook Seawolves baseball|Stony Brook Seawolves]] ([[2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament|2012]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/2012/06/13/stony-brookcollegeworldseries|title=Joe Lemire: Cinderella Stony Brook ready to crash party at College World Series|website=SI.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-26}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/stony-brook-magical-ride-college-world-series-screeching-halt-games-article-1.1097486|title=Stony Brook's magical ride to College World Series comes to a screeching halt after just two games|last=BRENNAN|first=SEAN|website=nydailynews.com|access-date=2019-05-26}}</ref> – The Seawolves, in just their 12th season as a [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] program, won the Coral Gables Regional as a four seed by beating host [[Miami Hurricanes baseball|Miami (FL)]], [[Missouri State Bears baseball|Missouri State]], and [[UCF Knights baseball|UCF]] to advance to the Baton Rouge Super Regional, where they upset the [[LSU Tigers baseball|LSU Tigers]], whose pitching rotation was led by future top-ten draft picks [[Aaron Nola]] and [[Kevin Gausman]], in a three-game road series in order to advance to the [[2012 College World Series]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/cutfour/article.jsp?content_id=33123154|title=Stony Brook advances in College World Series stunner|website=Major League Baseball|language=en|access-date=2019-05-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/sports/stony-brook-defeats-lsu-to-advance-to-college-world-series.html|title=Stony Brook Defeats L.S.U. to Advance to College World Series|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-06-11|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-05-26|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Seawolves became the third four seed in NCAA history to win a regional, and the second regional-four seed to reach the College World Series after Fresno State.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/baseball_champs_records/2011/d1/champs.pdf|title=Division I Baseball Championship Results|website=Fs.ncaa.org|access-date=2022-06-10}}</ref> They became the first team from the [[America East Conference]] to reach the College World Series, and were also the first team from [[New York (state)|New York]] to do so since [[St. John's Red Storm baseball|St. John's]] in 1980, as well as the first Northeast school since 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8040069|title=Eight-team field for College World Series is set|date=2012-06-12|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-26}}</ref> In the College World Series, the Seawolves lost 9–1 to [[UCLA Bruins baseball|UCLA]] and 12–2 to [[Florida State Seminoles baseball|Florida State]], ending their miracle season.<ref name=":0" />

==== Nippon Professional Baseball ====
* [[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]] ([[2001 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2001]]) – The Kintetsu Buffaloes constantly finished in last place the 90s, and entered 2001 with low expectations. However, Kintetsu surprised everyone by finishing in 1st, going 78-60-2. In a game against the [[Orix Buffaloes|Orix BlueWave]] in which if Kintetsu won, would secure the Buffaloes the pennant. If they lost, they still had to face the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, who earlier beat the [[Saitama Seibu Lions|Seibu Lions]] in a tiebreaker game, 9–0. They were behind 5–2 at the bottom of the 9th, but pinch hitter [[Hirotoshi Kitagawa]] became a hero, hitting a [[Walk-off home run#Other notable walk-offs|grand slam walk-off home run]], erasing a 3-run deficit. They were led by [[Tuffy Rhodes]] and [[Norihiro Nakamura]], who both became a deadly hitting tandem. Rhodes hit 55 home runs that season, tying [[Sadaharu Oh]]'s record. Meanwhile, Nakamura hit 46 home runs of his own. They also had Kenshi Kawaguchi, who registered 113 hits that season. Despite their powerful offense, they were no match for the Yakult Swallows' powerful defense, which kept the offense at bay, and defeated the Buffaloes, 4–1.
* [[Orix Buffaloes]] ([[2021 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2021]]) – Having only made the playoffs twice in 2008 and 2014 during their 16 years of existence after the merger between the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix BlueWave, the Orix Buffaloes entered 2021 with an expected last place finish after finishing last place for two consecutive years in 2019 and 2020. However, the Buffaloes proved everyone wrong and went on a magical season, and finished in first place in Pacific League with a 70-55-18 record. In the playoffs, the Buffaloes played against the [[Chiba Lotte Marines]], and swept them 3–0, with a tie in Game 3 that sent them to the Japan Series. Even with a star pitcher rotation, in Pacific League MVP [[Yoshinobu Yamamoto]], [[Taisuke Yamaoka]], and Rookie of the Year [[Hiroya Miyagi]], star outfielder [[Masataka Yoshida]], and foreigner [[Adam Jones (baseball)|Adam Jones]], who helped the Buffaloes stave off elimination in Game 5, they still fell to the [[Tokyo Yakult Swallows]], 4–2.
* [[Hanshin Tigers]] ([[2022 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2022]]) – The Tigers initially began the 2022 season with 9 straight losses, and everyone expected that they would not fight for a Climax Series spot. However, by the end of the regular season, the Tigers were already in a fight for 3rd place against the Carp and Giants. They secured the 3rd-place finish after a Giants loss to the [[Yokohama DeNA BayStars]]. They would face the BayStars in the First Stage, all on the road, defeating them in 3 games, 2–1. Their run would end after getting swept by the [[Tokyo Yakult Swallows]], 4–0, in the Final Stage.

====International====
* [[Mexico national baseball team|Mexico]] ([[2023 World Baseball Classic]]) – After finishing 13th in the [[2017 World Baseball Classic|World Baseball Classic six years ago]], Mexico, consisted of nine players from the [[Mexican League]], with twenty from the [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] and eight from the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]], had +1800 odds to win the [[World Baseball Classic]]. They were drawn in [[2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C|Pool C]] with [[United States national baseball team|Team USA]], the defending champions and favorites to win their second straight, [[Colombia national baseball team|Colombia]], [[Canada national baseball team|Canada]], and [[Great Britain national baseball team|Great Britain]], who won all three games in the WBC qualifiers and made their first appearance in the WBC. After losing to Colombia 5–4 in ten innings in the opener, Mexico bounced back and upset Team USA [[2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C#Mexico vs United States|11–5]]. They finished in first place in Pool C after winning three consecutive games and advanced to the WBC quarterfinals for the first time since [[2009 World Baseball Classic|2009]]. Mexico outfielder [[Randy Arozarena]] was named the World Baseball Classic Pool C MVP over Team USA outfielder [[Mike Trout]]. In the quarterfinals, Mexico took on the Pool D runners-up [[Puerto Rico national baseball team|Puerto Rico]] in which Puerto Rico took a 4–0 lead in the first inning. Mexico rallied to score five unanswered runs and stunned Puerto Rico 5–4. The comeback win sent Mexico to the semifinals for the first time in WBC history. In the semifinals, Mexico took on the undefeated [[Japan national baseball team|Japan]], former two-time WBC champions, in which Mexico took a 3–0 lead in the fourth inning with [[Luis Urías]] hit a three-run homer, but then Japan rallied and tied the game at 3–3 in the seventh inning with [[Masataka Yoshida]] also hit a three-run homer. Later in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mexico leads Japan 5–4 and closer [[Giovanny Gallegos]] was three outs away from pulling an upset and advancing to the [[2023 World Baseball Classic championship|WBC championship]] will face Team USA, but Gallegos gave up a first-pitch double to [[Shohei Ohtani]], putting him in scoring position with no outs, and then Gallegos walked Yoshida (pinch-runnered by [[Ukyo Shuto]]). On a 1–1 pitch, Japan pulled off a two-run walk-off double by [[Munetaka Murakami]], who had been 0-for-4 in the semifinal game, and Mexico lost to the eventual WBC champion Japan [[2023 World Baseball Classic knockout stage#Mexico vs Japan|6–5]] despite leading 3–0 in the fourth inning. Japan improved to 6–0 in the tournament and Mexico's loss snapped a 4-game winning streak. Mexico finished the tournament with a 4–2 record, and in third place as the semifinalists, while [[Cuba national baseball team|Cuba]] finished in fourth place after a 14–2 blowout loss to Team USA. With securing the third-place finish in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Mexico automatically qualified for the [[2026 World Baseball Classic]].

===Basketball===

====College====
* [[1985–86 LSU Tigers basketball team|Louisiana State University]] (1985–86) – The LSU Tigers struggled heavily with a number of obstacles during that season. Future NBA player [[Tito Horford]] was dismissed from the team, [[Zoran Jovanović (basketball)|Zoran Jovanović]] suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Christmas break, and three additional players were declared academically ineligible. Even worse, a [[chickenpox]] outbreak plagued the team, with star forward John Williams and backup forward Bernard Woodside hospitalized for a week and the team quarantined for several days. Nevertheless, LSU barely sneaked into the NCAA Tournament as an 11 seed in the southeast region. Following upsets of six-seeded [[1985–86 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team|Purdue]] in double overtime and third-seeded [[1985–86 Memphis State Tigers men's basketball team|Memphis State]] at LSU's [[Pete Maravich Assembly Center|Assembly Center]], the Tigers then stunned second-seeded [[1985-86 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team|Georgia Tech]] by a score of 70–64 at the [[Omni Coliseum]] in Atlanta, located a few miles away from Tech's campus. In the Elite Eight, LSU finally prevailed over top-seeded [[1985–86 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team|Kentucky]] for the first time in four meetings that season, edging the Wildcats 59–57 and becoming the first ever 11 seed to advance to the Final Four. The Tigers' unlikely tournament run ended with an 88–77 loss to the eventual national champion [[1985–86 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team|Louisville Cardinals]].
* [[Loyola Marymount Lions|Loyola Marymount University]] (1989–90)<ref>{{cite book|title=1991 International Year Book|page=447|publisher=[[Macmillan Education|Macmillan Educational Company]]|year=1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lmu.edu/lmunews/1989-90_Basketball_Team_Is_Celebrated_at_LMU.htm |title=1989–90 Basketball Team Is Celebrated at LMU |date=31 January 2010 |access-date=14 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516233919/http://www.lmu.edu/lmunews/1989-90_Basketball_Team_Is_Celebrated_at_LMU.htm |archive-date=16 May 2015}}</ref> – After averaging an NCAA record 122 points per game, the Lions lost senior leader, and former scoring and rebounding champion, [[Hank Gathers]], to a heart condition as he died on the court. However, the Lions fought their way to the Elite Eight where they lost to the eventual champion [[1989–90 UNLV Rebels men's basketball team|UNLV Rebels]]. Their run included defeating defending national champion Michigan 149–115.
* [[2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team|George Mason University]] (2005–06)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-03-26/march-madness-its-been-10-years-george-masons-final-four-run |title=March Madness: It's been 10 years since George Mason's Final Four run |publisher=NCAA |date=2016-03-26 |access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref> – The Patriots entered the tournament as an 11 seed, after not having a guaranteed spot following a loss to Hofstra in the CAA Tournament. Subsequently, many critics believed the Patriots should have been excluded from the tournament. However, the Patriots would go on to not only prove the critics wrong, but also capture the attention of a nation. In the first round, George Mason dispatched the [[2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team|Michigan State Spartans]] by a score of 75–65. Following their improbable win, the Patriots would continue their journey by downing the defending national champion, [[2005–06 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team|North Carolina Tar Heels]], 65–60. The Patriots, having already made history in their first Sweet 16 appearance, would follow that up with a shocking victory over potential Cinderella story [[Wichita State Shockers men's basketball|Wichita State Shockers]], 63–55. Having once again triumphed, the stage was set for the Patriots toughest test yet, the top-seeded [[2005–06 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team|Connecticut Huskies]]. The Huskies, led by [[Rudy Gay]], had a total of 5 players soon to be taken in the [[2006 NBA draft]]. Regardless of the odds stacked against them, the Patriots were able to withstand the test and emerge with an 86–84 victory, concluding a thrilling overtime. Having once again made history, the Patriots became just the second 11 seed to advance to the Final Four, where they lost to the eventual national champion [[2005–06 Florida Gators men's basketball team|Florida Gators]], 73–58.
* [[2009–10 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team|University of North Carolina]] (2009–10) – After winning the [[2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]], the Tar Heels were poised to make another run at an NCAA championship title in the 2009–10 college basketball season. The team played inconsistently throughout the season and were not selected to enter the 2010 NCAA Tournament due to them finishing with a losing record in conference play. UNC were instead invited to play in the [[2010 National Invitation Tournament]]; they won four straight games to advance to the NIT championship game, where they would lose to the [[2009–10 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team|Dayton Flyers]].
* [[2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team|Virginia Commonwealth University]] (2010–11)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/646793-march-madness-is-vcu-the-greatest-cinderella-of-all-time |title=NCAA Tournament Final Four: Is VCU the Greatest Cinderella Story of All Time? |website=Bleacher Report |date=2011-03-27 |access-date=2011-04-06}}</ref> – The 11th-seeded Rams, who had to play in the [[First Four]], made it to the Final Four for the first time in school history, with a shocking victory against number-one seed [[2010–11 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team|Kansas]] 71–61 in the regional finals. Their run came to an end with a loss to the 8th-seeded Butler Bulldogs in the national semifinals 70–62.
* [[2010–11 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team|Butler University]] (2010–11)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/648791-butler-university-bulldogs-dont-dare-call-them-a-cinderella-story |title=March Madness 2011: Don't Dare Calling the Butler Bulldogs a Cinderella Story |website=Bleacher Report |date=2011-03-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2010-11/releases/040311aaa|title=Butler To Face UConn For National Title|access-date=2011-04-03|date=2011-04-03|publisher=[[Butler University]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501072607/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2010-11/releases/040311aaa|archive-date=2011-05-01|url-status=dead}}</ref> – Looking for another Final Four appearance after [[2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team|last year]], the Bulldogs made it into [[2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|the tournament]] as an 8 seed. After a buzzer-beater to win the first round matchup against [[2010–11 Old Dominion Monarchs basketball team|Old Dominion]] 60–58, the Bulldogs upset number-one seed [[2010–11 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team|Pittsburgh]] 71–70 to move on to the Sweet Sixteen. They later went on to defeat No. 4 [[2010–11 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team|Wisconsin]] and No. 2 [[2010–11 Florida Gators men's basketball team|Florida]] to make it into the Final Four for the second straight year. They dismantled another Cinderella team, aforementioned VCU, in the national semifinals to advance on to the national championship game. However, the [[2010–11 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team|Connecticut Huskies]] put an end to Butler's tournament run [[2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|53–41]], denying the Bulldogs the national title again one year after the loss to Duke in the [[2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|2010 championship game]].
* [[2012–13 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles men's basketball team|Florida Gulf Coast University]] (2012–13)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1586743-florida-gulf-coast-sweet-16-loss-doesnt-tarnish-magical-tournament-run |title=Florida Gulf Coast: Sweet 16 Loss Doesn't Tarnish Magical NCAA Tournament Run |website=Bleacher Report |date=2013-03-29}}</ref> – After they defeated [[2012–13 Mercer Bears men's basketball team|Mercer]] in the [[2013 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament|Atlantic Sun tournament]], the Eagles made their first ever appearance in the [[2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] as a 15 seed. Nicknamed the "Dunk City", the Eagles upset No. 2 [[2012–13 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]] and defeated No. 7 [[2012–13 San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team|San Diego State]] to advance on to the Sweet Sixteen, becoming the first 15-seed to do so. Their tournament run later came to an end with a loss to No. 3 [[2012–13 Florida Gators men's basketball team|Florida]] 62–50.
* [[2012–13 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team|Wichita State University]] (2012–13) – The 9th-seeded Shockers made a run to the Final Four, beating the number-one seed [[2012–13 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team|Gonzaga Bulldogs]] by a score of 76–70 in the third round and then the second-seeded [[2012–13 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team|Ohio State Buckeyes]] in the Elite Eight by a score of 70–66. With the Shockers advancing on to the Final Four, they became the first 9th-seeded team to reach the Final Four. They eventually lost to the first-seeded [[2012–13 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team|Louisville Cardinals]] (who ended up having their eventual championship vacated) by a score of 72–68.
* [[2013–14 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team|University of Dayton]] (2013–14) – Despite being 13–8 by the end of January, Dayton entered the [[2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] with a 23–10 record. In the first round, Dayton would take on 6th-seeded Ohio State, and upset them by a score of 60–59 following a game-winning shot from [[Vincent Sanford|Vee Sanford]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://time.com/32499/dayton-upsets-ohio-state/ | title=March Madness: Dayton Upsets Ohio State }}</ref> They would then upset 3rd-seeded Syracuse and 10th-seeded Stanford, but their run would end after losing to the [[2013–14 Florida Gators men's basketball team|Florida Gators]] in the Elite Eight.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/basketball/the-university-dayton-reliving-the-flyers-electric-2014-ncaa-tournament-run/yi2wgiCZ7PB2VNBwhk8HoI/ | title=THE University of Dayton: Reliving the Flyers' electric 2014 NCAA tournament run }}</ref>
* [[2013–14 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team|University of Kentucky]] (2013–14) – [[2012–13 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team|A year]] after missing the NCAA Tournament, in which they played in [[2013 National Invitation Tournament|the NIT]], the Kentucky Wildcats entered the [[2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] as the 8th seed. Kentucky started their tournament run with a 56–49 victory over the 9th-seeded [[2013–14 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team|Kansas State Wildcats]]. Afterwards, they would later upset the previously unbeaten [[2013–14 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team|Witchita State Shockers]] in the Round of 32 following a missed game-winning shot by [[Fred VanVleet]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/kentucky-defeats-wichita-state-shockers-undefeated-dream-season-ends-01dxkn5av0y6 | title=Kentucky Defeats Wichita State, Shockers' Undefeated Dream Season Ends |website=Thebiglead.com| date=23 March 2014 }}</ref> They would then defeat their archrival, the 4th-seeded [[2013–14 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team|Louisville Cardinals]], before [[shooting guard]] [[Aaron Harrison]] made game-winning 3s to upset the [[2013–14 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team|Michigan Wolverines]] and [[2013–14 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team|Wisconsin Badgers]] in the Elite 8 and Final Four respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/kentucky-upsets-michigan|title=Kentucky Upsets Michigan|website=[[The Daily Beast]]|date=31 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wtsp.com/article/sports/kentucky-upsets-no-2-wisconsin/67-300393204|title = Kentucky upsets No. 2 Wisconsin|website=Wtsp.com}}</ref> However, their tournament run ended after losing in the [[2014 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|championship game]] to the 7th seeded UConn Huskies, who themselves had a Cinderella run.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buildingthedam.com/2014/4/7/5588866/2014-NCAA-national-championship-a-cinderella-story-between-traditional-powers|title = National Championship a Cinderella Story?|website=Buildingthedam.com|date = 7 April 2014}}</ref>
* [[2016–17 South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team|University of South Carolina]] (2016–17) – South Carolina, led by seniors [[Sindarius Thornwell]] and [[Duane Notice]], entered the [[2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2017 NCAA Tournament]] as the 7th seed in the East region. The Gamecocks routed 10-seed [[2016–17 Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team|Marquette]] 93–73 in the first round. They then upset second-seeded [[2016–17 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team|Duke]] 88–81, third-seeded [[2016–17 Baylor Bears basketball team|Baylor]] 70–50, and fourth-seeded [[2016–17 Florida Gators men's basketball team|Florida]] 77–70 to reach their first Final Four in school history. The Gamecocks' run ended with a 77–73 loss to [[2016–17 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team|Gonzaga]] in the national semifinals.
* [[2017–18 UMBC Retrievers men's basketball team|University of Maryland, Baltimore County]] (2017–18) – The Retrievers became the first 16th-seeded team to win a game in the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|men's NCAA tournament]] against a number-one seed when they [[2018 UMBC vs. Virginia men's basketball game|defeated]] the [[2017–18 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team|Virginia Cavaliers]] 74–54 in the first round. UMBC's remarkable run ended with a narrow 50–43 loss to 9th-seeded Kansas State in the round of 32.
* [[2017–18 Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team|Loyola University Chicago]] (2017–18)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kenyon |first1=David |title=Loyola-Chicago Earns Place Among All-Time Cinderellas with Trip to Final Four |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2766438-loyola-chicago-earns-place-among-all-time-cinderellas-with-trip-to-final-four |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=29 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref> – With a win against Evansville on February 18, 2018, Loyola clinched at least a share of its first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship. With a win over Southern Illinois on February 21, the Ramblers clinched the outright MVC championship. They then defeated Northern Iowa, Bradley, and Illinois State to win the MVC Tournament. The Ramblers qualified for the [[2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]] for the first time since 1985 as the 11th seed in the South with a 28–5 record. In the first round, the Ramblers defeated No. 6 [[2017–18 Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team|Miami]] 64–62. The Ramblers then upset No. 3 [[2017–18 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team|Tennessee]] 63–62, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1985. Then the Ramblers defeated No. 7 [[2017–18 Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team|Nevada]] 69–68, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1963. In the Elite Eight, the Ramblers defeated No. 9 [[2017–18 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team|Kansas State]], advancing to the Final Four for the first time in program history, becoming the fourth 11th seed to do so. In the national semifinal, they lost to 3rd-seeded [[2017–18 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team|Michigan]] 69–57 after leading the game for 30 minutes.
* [[2018–19 Auburn Tigers men's basketball team|Auburn University]] (2018–19) – The Tigers entered the [[2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2019 NCAA tournament]] as the 5th seed. In the tournament, the Auburn Tigers barely survived an upset bid against 12th-seeded [[2018–19 New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team|New Mexico State]] before upsetting 4th-seeded [[2018–19 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team|Kansas]], top-seeded [[2018–19 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team|North Carolina]], and second-seeded [[2018–19 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team|Kentucky]] to advance to their first Final Four in program history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Auburn embraces Cinderella label heading into its first Final Four in program history {{!}} NCAA.com |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2019-03-31/auburn-embraces-cinderella-label-heading-its-first-final |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Ncaa.com |language=en}}</ref> Their run ended after losing 63–62 to the top-seeded (and eventual national champion) [[2018–19 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team|Virginia Cavaliers]].
* [[2019-20 San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team|San Diego State University]] (2019–20) – The Aztecs came into the season unranked and had missed the NCAA Tournament 3 of the previous 4 years and were two years removed from the retirement of long-time coach Steve Fisher. Led by transfers [[Malachi Flynn]], Yanni Wetzell and K.J. Feagin, as well as the further development of returnees such as Matt Mitchell, Jordan Schakel, and Nathan Mensah, the Aztecs roared to a 26–0 start and a top 5 ranking. The Aztecs were ultimately 30–2 and likely to be a 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, with many analysts thinking the Aztecs had a chance to win the national championship. However, the [[2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]] was canceled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].
* [[2020-21 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles men's basketball team|Oral Roberts University]] (2020–21)<ref>{{cite web |title=Arkansas ends Oral Roberts' Cinderella story, 72–70 |url=https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/college/2021/03/27/arkansas-ends-oral-roberts-cinderella-story-72-70/stories/20210327125 |website=The Blade |access-date=29 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Creef |first1=Mike |last2=Writer |first2=Staff |title=Despite the Cinderella Story, Oral Roberts University Feels They Belong |url=https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2021/03/27/despite-the-cinderella-story-oral-roberts-university-feels-they-belong/ |website=The Black Wall Street Times |access-date=29 March 2021 |date=27 March 2021}}</ref> – Seeded fourth in the [[2021 Summit League men's basketball tournament|Summit League tournament]], the Golden Eagles topped North Dakota before having upset wins over top-seeded South Dakota State and North Dakota State in the respective semifinal and championship rounds. Oral Roberts qualified to the [[2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2021 NCAA tournament]] for the first time since 2008 as the 15 seed in the South with a 16–10 record. In the first round, Oral Roberts stunned No. 2 [[2020–21 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team|Ohio State]] 75–72 in overtime with Kevin Obanor and Max Abmas combining for 59 points in the victory. The Golden Eagles then defeated No. 7 [[2020–21 Florida Gators men's basketball team|Florida]] 81–78 in the second round, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1974 and becoming the second 15 seed to do so. However, Oral Roberts was defeated by No. 3 [[2020–21 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team|Arkansas]] 72–70 in the Sweet 16.
* [[2020-21 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team|UCLA]] (2020–21) – Having lost four consecutive games, the Bruins snuck into the NCAA Tournament as the 11-seed in the East Region, and had to play in the [[First Four]] against [[2020-21 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team|Michigan State]]. UCLA overcame a 14-point deficit to beat the Spartans 86–80 in overtime. The Bruins then defeated No. 6 [[2020–21 BYU Cougars men's basketball team|BYU]] 73–62, defeated No. 14 [[2020–21 Abilene Christian Wildcats men's basketball team|Abilene Christian]] 67–47, outlasted No. 2 [[2020–21 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team|Alabama]] 88–78 in overtime, and upset top-seeded [[2020-21 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team|Michigan]] 51–49 to become just the fifth 11-seed and the second First Four team to reach the Final Four, after [[2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team|VCU in 2010–2011]]. UCLA's Cinderella run ended with a 93–90 overtime loss to overall top-seed and undefeated [[2020-21 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team|Gonzaga]], a game which featured 15 ties and 19 lead changes, in which the Zags' [[Jalen Suggs]] banked in a deep three-point shot to beat the overtime buzzer. This loss joined UCLA with the aforementioned VCU team as the only teams in NCAA tournament history to win five games and not qualify for the national championship game. The Final Four game is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in NCAA history.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gleeson|first=Scott|title=Greatest NCAA Tournament game ever? The 7 best moments from Gonzaga's buzzer-beating win vs. UCLA|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2021/04/03/gonzaga-ucla-top-moments-ncaa-tournament-final-four-game/7081597002/|access-date=2021-04-05|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-04|title=As contender for best game ever, UCLA-Gonzaga checks the boxes – if the Zags finish the job|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2021-04-04/ucla-gonzaga-has-an-argument-for-best-game-ever-but-only-if-zags-finish-the-job|access-date=2021-04-05|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[2021–22 Saint Peter's Peacocks men's basketball team|Saint Peter's University]] (2021–22) – Following a road loss to [[2021–22 Siena Saints men's basketball team|Siena]] that dropped Saint Peter's record to 12–11, the Peacocks, led by stars [[Doug Edert]], [[KC Ndefo]], Daryl Banks III, brothers Hassan and Fousseyni Drame, and fourth-year head coach [[Shaheen Holloway]], improbably reeled off 10 consecutive wins. After winning their last four games to finish the regular season 16–11 and 14–6 in [[2021–22 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's basketball season|Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play]], the Peacocks, as the No. 2 seed in the [[2022 MAAC men's basketball tournament|MAAC tournament]], defeated [[2021–22 Fairfield Stags men's basketball team|Fairfield]], [[2021–22 Quinnipiac Bobcats men's basketball team|Quinnipiac]], and [[2021–22 Monmouth Hawks men's basketball team|Monmouth]] to win the conference's automatic bid to the [[2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2022 NCAA tournament]] for the first time since 2011, receiving a No. 15 seed in the East Region. Saint Peter's began their run by upsetting No. 2 seed [[2021–22 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team|Kentucky]] 85–79 in overtime in the first round, becoming the tenth 15 seed on record to [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament upsets|upset]] a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kentucky stunned by No. 15 seed Saint Peter's, a new March Madness low for John Calipari |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/kentucky-saint-peters-upset-march-madness-014205235.html |website=sports.yahoo.com |access-date=27 March 2022}}</ref> The Peacocks then became the third 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 after upsetting No. 7 seed [[2021–22 Murray State Racers men's basketball team|Murray State]] 70–60, which also ended the Racers' 21-game winning streak.<ref>{{cite web |title=15-seed Saint Peter's run continues into Sweet 16 |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33552783/no-15-seed-saint-peter-peacocks-topple-murray-state-racers-electrifying-run-continues-sweet-16 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=27 March 2022 |language=en |date=20 March 2022}}</ref> Then, they became the first-ever 15 seeded team to advance to the Elite Eight by stunning No. 3 seed [[2021–22 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team|Purdue]] 67–64.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Peter's stuns, first 15-seed ever in Elite 8 |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33596827/saint-peter-peacocks-stun-purdue-become-first-15-seed-ever-make-elite-eight-ncaa-tournament |website=ESPN.com |access-date=27 March 2022 |language=en |date=26 March 2022}}</ref> However, the Peacocks' magical season came to an end with a 69–49 defeat to No. 8 seed [[2021–22 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team|North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web |title=North Carolina cruises to men's basketball Final Four, concludes storybook season for Saint Peter's |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33611202/north-carolina-cruises-men-basketball-final-four-concludes-storybook-season-st-peters |website=ESPN.com |access-date=27 March 2022 |language=en |date=27 March 2022}}</ref>
* [[2021–22 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team|University of North Carolina]] (2021–22)<ref>{{cite web |title=In Hubert Davis' first season, here's how UNC made its historic run to the Final Four |url=https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2022/04/unc-mens-basketball-road-to-final-four |website=The Daily Tar Heel |access-date=5 April 2022}}</ref> – Following [[Roy Williams (basketball coach)|Roy Williams]]' retirement from coaching the previous season, North Carolina, led by first-year head coach and former Tar Heel player [[Hubert Davis]], entered the 2022 NCAA Tournament as the 8-seed in the East Region. After routing 9-seed [[2021–22 Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team|Marquette]] 95–63 in the first round, UNC ousted the top-seed and defending national champion [[2021–22 Baylor Bears men's basketball team|Baylor Bears]] 93–86 in overtime despite blowing a 25-point lead and losing [[Brady Manek]] to an ejection as a result of his flagrant 2 foul in the second half. The Tar Heels then prevailed over 4-seed [[2021–22 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team|UCLA]] 73–66 in the Sweet 16, with [[Caleb Love]] accounting for 30 points and six made three-pointers in the win. North Carolina then ended the Cinderella run of 15-seed [[2021–22 Saint Peter's Peacocks basketball team|Saint Peter's]] in the Elite Eight, defeating the Peacocks 69–49 to reach the Final Four for a record 21st time. In the national semifinals, UNC defeated [[Carolina–Duke rivalry|cross-town rival]] [[2021–22 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team|Duke]] for the second time in three meetings this season in an 81–77 decision and ended the college basketball coaching career of [[Mike Krzyzewski]]. However, the Tar Heels lost to the top-seed [[2021–22 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team|Kansas Jayhawks]] 72–69 in the [[2022 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|national championship game]] despite leading by as many as 16 points in the first half.
* [[2022–23 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball team|Fairleigh Dickinson University]] (2022–23)<ref>{{cite web |title=Getting to know Fairleigh Dickinson, the NCAA Tournament's Cinderella darling |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-basketball/getting-to-know-fairleigh-dickinson-the-ncaa-tournaments-cinderella-darling |website=FOX Sports |access-date=20 March 2023}}</ref> – After finishing last season with a 4–22 overall record, Fairleigh Dickinson finished second in the [[Northeast Conference]] and went on a run to the [[2023 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament|NEC Tournament]]'s championship game, where the Knights suffered a narrow one-point loss to [[2022–23 Merrimack Warriors men's basketball team|Merrimack]]. However, Merrimack was in its last season of a four-year transition period from [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] to [[NCAA Division I|Division I]], making the Warriors ineligible for the [[2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2023 NCAA Tournament]]. As a result, FDU received the conference's automatic bid, entering the tournament as the 68th and last-ranked team overall in the field. The Knights had a strength of schedule ranked 363rd and last in Division I according to [[Ken Pomeroy|''KenPom.com'']] and had the shortest overall roster in that division. Despite these disadvantages, Fairleigh Dickinson played in the [[First Four]] and defeated Texas Southern 84–61, giving the Knights the No. 16 seed where they faced No. 1 seed [[2022–23 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team|Purdue]] in the first round, led by 7'4" stalwart [[Zach Edey]]. First-year head coach [[Tobin Anderson]] told his team in the locker room following their First Four game, "The more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them." Despite Edey scoring 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, Fairleigh Dickinson, who closed as 23.5-point underdogs, shocked the basketball world by [[2023 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue men's basketball game|defeating the Boilermakers 63–58]], becoming the first No. 16 seed out of the First Four to defeat a No. 1 seed in the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]], and the second 16-seed overall after [[2018 UMBC vs. Virginia men's basketball game|UMBC's win over Virginia in 2018]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Camargo |first=Alberto |date=March 17, 2023 |title=No. 16 FDU shocks No. 1 Purdue in first round of March Madness |website=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] |publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-03-17/16-seed-fdu-shocks-1-seed-purdue-first-round-march-madness |url-status=live |access-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318013821/https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-03-17/16-seed-fdu-shocks-1-seed-purdue-first-round-march-madness }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Boone |first=Kyle |date=2023-03-18 |title=Fairleigh Dickinson upsets Purdue as second 16 seed to defeat 1 seed in men's NCAA Tournament history |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/fairleigh-dickinson-upsets-purdue-as-second-16-seed-to-defeat-1-seed-in-mens-ncaa-tournament-history/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=[[CBSSports.com]] |language=en |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318044253/https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/fairleigh-dickinson-upsets-purdue-as-second-16-seed-to-defeat-1-seed-in-mens-ncaa-tournament-history/ }}</ref> Fairleigh Dickinson made it to the round of 32 for the first time in school history and became the first NEC team to win in the round of 64. FDU's season ended with a 78–70 loss to the No. 9 seed [[2022–23 Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball team|Florida Atlantic Owls]], who went on a Cinderella run of their own.

====National Basketball Association====
* [[1975–76 Phoenix Suns season|1975–76 Phoenix Suns]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Suns: 1975–76|url=http://www.nba.com/suns/history/00521693.html|publisher=NBA Media Ventures|website=Suns.com|access-date=2012-04-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201225520/http://www.nba.com/suns/history/00521693.html|archive-date=2010-12-01|url-status=dead}}</ref> – Despite entering the [[1976 NBA playoffs|NBA playoffs]] with only a 42–40 record, the Suns would upset the defending champion [[1975–76 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] to enter the [[1976 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] against the [[1975–76 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]]. Despite giving the Celtics a triple-overtime thriller in Game 5, which the Suns lost by two points, the Suns would lose to the eventual champion Celtics 4 games to 2. That season's team was given the nickname of the "Sunderella Suns".
* [[1998–99 New York Knicks season|1998–99 New York Knicks]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Knicks' Magic Ride is Over|page=D1|date=June 26, 1999|first=Mike|last=Wise|newspaper=The New York Times|quote=After a moment of disbelief had passed over the crowd, they began clapping and saluting this implausible Knicks run that began with a miracle in Miami, swept through Atlanta, somehow overcame Indiana and ended with a four games to one loss in the league championship series.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Spurs Win Title as Knicks ' Dream Ends|date=June 26, 1999|page=A1|first=Selena|last=Roberts|newspaper=The New York Times|quote=It was quite a finish to an improbable and enchanting playoff run for the Knicks.}}</ref> – The Knicks became the only eighth-seeded team to advance to play in the [[NBA Finals]]. However, New York lost to the [[1998–99 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio Spurs]] 4 games to 1 in the [[1999 NBA Finals]].
* [[2006–07 Golden State Warriors season|2006–07 Golden State Warriors]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Klopfer |first1=Brady |title=The We Believe Warriors were the last great NBA underdog |url=https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2020/5/21/21266827/golden-state-warriors-dallas-mavericks-we-believe-2007-nba-underdogs |website=Golden State Of Mind |access-date=25 July 2021 |language=en |date=21 May 2020}}</ref> – After 13 years of futility, the Warriors, ending the season with a 16–5 run, finished the season with a 42–40 record, clinching the eight seed, and returning to the playoffs for the first time since the [[1993–94 Golden State Warriors season|1993–94 season]]. Led by [[Baron Davis]], [[Matt Barnes]], [[Monta Ellis]], and head coach [[Don Nelson]], the Warriors faced the top-seeded [[2006–07 Dallas Mavericks season|Dallas Mavericks]] led by league MVP [[Dirk Nowitzki]]. Despite being heavy underdogs, the Warriors shocked the basketball world by defeating the Mavericks in six games, becoming the third eighth-seeded team in NBA history to eliminate a first-seeded team in the playoffs, after the [[Denver Nuggets]] and [[New York Knicks]] did it in [[1993–94 Denver Nuggets season|1994]], and [[1998–99 New York Knicks season|1999]] respectively. But the first eight-seed to do so in a best-of-seven series. However, the Warriors magical run ended in the Western Conference Semifinals when they were defeated by the [[2006-07 Utah Jazz season|Utah Jazz]] in five games. The slogan '''“We Believe”''' became the Warriors’ slogan for the last two months of the season and throughout playoffs.
* [[2008–09 Orlando Magic season|2008–09 Orlando Magic]] – Just a year after winning their first playoff series since [[1995–96 Orlando Magic season|1996]] (during the [[Shaquille O'Neal|Shaq]]/[[Penny Hardaway|Penny]] era), the Magic qualified for the [[NBA playoffs]] for a second straight year. The Magic defeated the [[2008–09 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia 76ers]] in six games, the defending [[2008 NBA Finals|NBA champion]] [[2008–09 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]] in seven games, and the heavily favored [[2008–09 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland Cavaliers]] in six games to advance to play in the [[2009 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] against the [[2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]]. However, the Magic lost to the Lakers in five games. The Magic were led by [[Dwight Howard]], the top pick in the [[2004 NBA draft]] who notably led his Magic to the Finals with no other All-Stars on the team, and was also named the [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year]] for three straight seasons.
* [[2010–11 Memphis Grizzlies season|2010–11 Memphis Grizzlies]] – After years of franchise disappointment, the Grizzlies finished the [[2010–11 NBA season]] with a win–loss record of 46–36, and qualified for the [[2011 NBA playoffs]] as the Western Conference's number eight seed. In the playoffs, the Grizzlies won their first ever playoff series, an upset over the top-seeded [[2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio Spurs]] in six games. However, the Grizzlies' season ended with a hard-fought 7-game series loss to the [[2010–11 Oklahoma City Thunder season|Oklahoma City Thunder]]. Although they made their first ever Western Conference Finals appearance [[2012–13 Memphis Grizzlies season|two seasons later]], the Grizzlies would get swept by the [[2012–13 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio Spurs]] in four games.
* [[2015–16 Oklahoma City Thunder season|2015–16 Oklahoma City Thunder]] – Coming off an injury-plagued season last year that resulted in the Thunder failing to qualify for the NBA playoffs for the first time since the team's inaugural season in [[Oklahoma City]] ([[2008–09 Oklahoma City Thunder season|2008–09]]), they fired head coach [[Scott Brooks]] and hired long-time [[Florida Gators men's basketball|Florida Gators]] coach [[Billy Donovan]] as their new head coach. In Donovan's first year as head coach, he led Oklahoma City to a 55–27 record and to a Western Conference finals appearance for the fourth time in five seasons. In the [[2016 NBA playoffs|NBA playoffs]], the Thunder defeated the sixth seeded [[2015–16 Dallas Mavericks season|Dallas Mavericks]] in 5 games and the second seeded [[2015–16 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio Spurs]] in 6 games, before nearly pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the history of professional sports. Despite holding a 3 games to 1 series lead, the Thunder lost to the [[2015–16 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] in the Western Conference finals in seven games. The Warriors that year had finished with the NBA's best-ever single season regular season win–loss record at 73–9, surpassing the [[1995–96 Chicago Bulls season|1995–96 Chicago Bulls]]' record of 72–10.
* [[2017–18 Boston Celtics season|2017–18 Boston Celtics]] – After losing newly acquired star players [[Kyrie Irving]] to a season-ending knee surgery and [[Gordon Hayward]] to an ankle injury in their season opener, the Celtics qualified to compete in the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. Boston finished the [[2017–18 NBA season]] with a win–loss record of 55–27 and qualified for the [[2018 NBA playoffs]] as the Eastern Conference's second seed. Led by rookie [[Jayson Tatum]] and sophomore [[Jaylen Brown]], the Celtics defeated the promising [[2017–18 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]] and [[2017–18 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia 76ers]], before losing in the Eastern Conference finals to the [[2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland Cavaliers]], despite leading the series 2 games to none and then 3 games to 2, their first blown 2–0 postseason series lead in franchise history.
* [[2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers season|2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers]] – In the year following superstar [[Kyrie Irving]]'s sudden departure from the team, the [[LeBron James|LeBron]]-led Cavs found themselves grappling to stay afloat in an increasingly-competitive Eastern Conference. The team started the season 5–7 through their first 12 games, was ranked as low as 12th in the East a month into the season, and even at the All-Star break was struggling to elevate themselves to their status of the last three years, despite having gone on a 13-game win-streak in December. At regular season end, the Cavs placed fourth in the East, several spots lower than any LeBron-led team had finished in all of his last seven consecutive trips to the Finals, meaning they were an underdog to almost half the conference's playoff field this time around. In the First Round, they defeated the No. 5 seed [[2017-18 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana Pacers]] in seven back-and-forth games, propelled by a vintage LeBron buzzer-beater in Game 5, before proceeding to stunningly sweep the No. 1-seeded [[2017-18 Toronto Raptors season|Toronto Raptors]] in the conference semi-finals by virtue of yet another instant-classic walk-off game-winning shot in Game 3 by James. This was the third consecutive season that Cleveland sent the Raptors home in the playoffs, and sweeping them in four games for the second year in a row. The Cavs then entered the Eastern Conference Finals firing on all cylinders more than they had at any point previously, defeating the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in the ECF after being down both 2–0 and 3–2, with all matches except Game 7 being decided by home court advantage. With this win, after having played in and won two Game 7's, and having beaten two higher-seeded teams as historic underdogs both times, they clinched their fourth straight conference title, and advanced to the [[2018 NBA Finals]] to face the [[Golden State Warriors]] for a record-breaking fourth consecutive season. Despite being swept in the Finals, the Cavs showed surprising fight in Game 1, taking it to overtime by way of a sensational 51-point game from LeBron James, having held a lead with just seconds remaining in the game, blown in part by a now-infamous closing-seconds blunder by [[J.R. Smith]].
* [[2019-20 Miami Heat season|2019–20 Miami Heat]] – A year after Heat legend and 3-time champion [[Dwyane Wade]], believed by many as the best Heat player in franchise history, retired from the NBA, the Heat finished the 2019–20 season with a 44–29 record as the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. Led by [[Jimmy Butler]], [[Bam Adebayo]], rookie [[Tyler Herro]] and undrafted free agent [[Duncan Robinson (basketball)|Duncan Robinson]], the Heat began their playoff run by sweeping the Pacers, shockingly defeated the top-seeded and heavily favored Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games and finally beat the Celtics in 6 games to reach their 6th NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. They became the only 5th seed in NBA history to ever reach the Finals. However, the Heat were defeated in the Finals in six games by the [[LeBron James]]-led [[2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]], who were affected by the [[death of Kobe Bryant]] in a helicopter crash that happened six weeks before the NBA suspended its season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Lakers' win in that series marked their seventeenth championship title and their first championship since 2010.
* [[2020–21 Atlanta Hawks season|2020–21 Atlanta Hawks]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Season over: Hawks lose Game 6 to Milwaukee ending a Cinderella season |url=https://www.wsbtv.com/sports/nba/atlanta-hawks/season-over-hawks-lose-game-6-milwaukee-ending-cinderella-season/L5A3KQZRPVAR3P64U2RJBKPWRE/ |website=WSB-TV Channel 2 – Atlanta |date=4 July 2021 |access-date=4 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref> – The Hawks had struggled for the past three years failing to win more than 30 games a season. After a 14–20 start, the Hawks fired head coach [[Lloyd Pierce]] and named [[Nate McMillan]] as interim head coach. McMillan alongside [[Trae Young]], [[Clint Capela]], and [[John Collins (basketball)|John Collins]], led the Hawks on a 27–11 run to finish the season with the 5th seed with a 41–31 record, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since the [[2016-17 Atlanta Hawks season|2017 season]]. The Hawks began their playoff run by defeating the 4th seeded [[2020-21 New York Knicks season|New York Knicks]] where Young was being consistently mocked by fans during the series.<ref>{{cite web |title=Young takes bow as Hawks finish off Knicks |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31557376/trae-young-takes-bow-atlanta-hawks-finish-new-york-knicks-know-do-show-over |website=ESPN.com |access-date=4 July 2021 |language=en |date=3 June 2021}}</ref> Then the Hawks upset the top seeded [[2020-21 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia 76ers]] in the Conference Semifinals, where two of their victories were coming back from large deficits.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Polacek|first=Scott|title=Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Hawks Edge Joel Embiid, 76ers in Game 7; Will Face Bucks|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10006289-trae-young-kevin-huerter-hawks-edge-joel-embiid-76ers-in-game-7-will-face-bucks|access-date=2021-06-21|website=Bleacher Report|language=en}}</ref> The Hawks would advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since [[2014-15 Atlanta Hawks season|2015]] where they faced the 3rd seeded [[2020–21 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]]. Despite a strong Game 1 victory, the Hawks would lose the series in six games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Middleton lifts Bucks past Hawks, into NBA Finals |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31758589/khris-middleton-lifts-milwaukee-bucks-atlanta-hawks-nba-finals |website=ESPN.com |access-date=4 July 2021 |language=en |date=4 July 2021}}</ref>
* [[2020–21 Phoenix Suns season|2020–21 Phoenix Suns]] – During the previous five seasons, the Suns had just a .302 [[winning percentage]] which is the worst winning percentage in the five years prior for a team advancing to the final playoff round in any of the [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|four major American professional sports leagues]].<ref>{{cite tweet |user=ESPNStatsInfo |number=1410449816400900097 |date=July 1, 2021 |title=The Suns had just a .302 winning pct in the previous 5 seasons entering this one. They are now headed to the NBA Finals. That's the worst in the 5 seasons prior to an appearance in the final postseason round in the history of the NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB. |access-date=July 1, 2021}}</ref> After acquiring All-Star [[Chris Paul]] from the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]] in the off-season,<ref>{{cite web|title=Suns complete trade for Chris Paul, Abdel Nader|url=https://www.nba.com/suns/features/suns-complete-trade-chris-paul-abdel-nader|date=November 16, 2020|website=NBA.com|access-date=November 16, 2020}}</ref> the Suns, led by Paul, [[Devin Booker]], 2018 [[List of first overall NBA draft picks|first overall pick]] [[Deandre Ayton]], and second-year head coach [[Monty Williams]], finished the season as the No 2. seed with a 51–21 record, clinching the Pacific Division for the first time since [[2006–07 Phoenix Suns season|2006–07]], clinched a playoff spot since the [[2009–10 Phoenix Suns season|2009–2010 season]] and finished with a winning record for the first time since the [[2013–14 Phoenix Suns season|2013–14 season]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schuster |first1=Blake |title=Suns Clinch 1st Playoff Spot Since 2010; Latest 2021 Standings, Playoff Picture |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2939718-suns-clinch-1st-playoff-spot-since-2010-latest-202-standings-playoff-picture |work=Bleacher Report |access-date=July 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Phoenix Suns win Pacific Division, clinch top-2 seed after Clippers loss |url=https://arizonasports.com/story/2653170/phoenix-suns-win-pacific-division-clinch-top-2-seed-after-clippers-loss/ |work=Arizona Sports |access-date=July 1, 2021 |date=May 15, 2021}}</ref> The Suns began their playoff run by defeating the seventh-seeded and defending [[2020 NBA Finals|NBA champion]] [[2020–21 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]] in the opening round in six games.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stinar |first1=Ben |title=NBA Playoffs: Suns End LeBron James and Lakers Season |url=https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/the-phoenix-suns-will-advance-to-the-second-round-of-the-nba-playoffs-and-the-lakers-season-is-over |work=Sports Illustrated Indiana Pacers news, analysis and more |access-date=July 1, 2021}}</ref> The Suns then swept the third-seeded [[2020–21 Denver Nuggets season|Denver Nuggets]] in the conference semifinals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Suns defeat Nuggets in Game 4 to complete sweep, advance to West finals – Sportsnet.ca |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/suns-defeat-nuggets-game-4-complete-sweep-advance-west-finals/ |website=sportsnet.ca |access-date=July 1, 2021}}</ref> Then in the Conference Finals, the Suns defeated the fourth-seeded [[2020–21 Los Angeles Clippers season|Los Angeles Clippers]] in the conference finals in six games, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since [[1993 NBA Finals|1993]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kasabian |first1=Paul |title=Chris Paul Erupts for 41 as Suns Eliminate Clippers, Advance to 2021 NBA Finals |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10006836-chris-paul-erupts-for-41-as-suns-eliminate-clippers-advance-to-2021-nba-finals |work=Bleacher Report |access-date=July 1, 2021}}</ref> Against the [[Milwaukee Bucks]] however, the Suns would lose in six games despite starting the series 2–0.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaskey-Blomain |first1=Michael |title=Bucks vs. Suns, NBA Finals score, takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee win franchise's second title |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/bucks-vs-suns-nba-finals-score-takeaways-giannis-antetokounmpo-milwaukee-win-franchises-second-title/live/ |website=CBSSports.com |access-date=21 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[2021–22 Dallas Mavericks season|2021–22 Dallas Mavericks]] – Led by star [[Luka Dončić]] and first year head coach [[Jason Kidd]], the [[Dallas Mavericks]] finished the regular season with a 52–30 record and clinched the 4th seed in the playoffs. The Mavericks would begin their playoff run by defeating the [[Utah Jazz]] in 6 games, their first playoff series win since the aforementioned [[2010–11 Dallas Mavericks season|2010–11 championship season]]. They would take on the top-seeded [[Phoenix Suns]] and upset them in 7 games, including a dominant 123–90 victory at [[Footprint Center]]. However, their season ended after losing to the [[Golden State Warriors]] in 5 games.
* [[2021–22 Boston Celtics season|2021–22 Boston Celtics]] – After starting the season with an 18–21 record under first year head coach [[Ime Udoka]], the [[Boston Celtics]], led by all-stars [[Jayson Tatum]], [[Jaylen Brown]], [[Al Horford]], and defensive player of the year [[Marcus Smart]], won 33 of their next 53 games to finish the regular season 51–31 and grab the second seed in the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/what-stood-out-in-celtics-loss-vs-hawks-soft-defense-poor-shooting-difference-in-second-unit-production-dooms-boston | title=What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Hawks: Soft Defense, Poor Shooting, Difference in Second-Unit Production Dooms Boston }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-record-best-finish-nba-history-team-under-500-halfway-through-season |title=Celtics record best finish in NBA history for team under .500 halfway through season &#124; RSN |access-date=2022-06-18 |archive-date=2022-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602122653/https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-record-best-finish-nba-history-team-under-500-halfway-through-season |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Celtics started their postseason run by sweeping the [[2021-22 Brooklyn Nets season|Brooklyn Nets]] in four games.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/25/sports/basketball/nets-eliminated-celtics-sweep.html | title=Celtics Eliminate Nets' Latest Superteam with First-Round Sweep | newspaper=The New York Times | date=26 April 2022 | last1=Cacciola | first1=Scott }}</ref> In the conference semifinals, they ousted the defending NBA champion [[2021-22 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]] in seven games.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/05/15/boston-celtics-milwaukee-bucks-game-7/ |title=Hot-shooting Celtics dethrone Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks in Game 7 |date=2022-05-16 |orig-date=2022-05-15 |author1=Ben Golliver |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}{{WaPoCheckDates}}</ref> The Celtics then proceeded to defeat the top-seeded [[2021-22 Miami Heat season|Miami Heat]] in seven games, advancing to the [[2022 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] for the first time in 12 years.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/30/sport/boston-celtics-beat-miami-heat-advances-to-nba-finals-spt-intl/index.html | title=The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat in Game 7 to reach NBA Finals for first time in 12 years | website=[[CNN]] | date=30 May 2022 }}</ref> However, their season ended with a loss in the NBA Finals to the [[2021-22 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] in six games.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/boston-celtics-golden-state-warriors-nba-finals-game-6-june-16-2022/40316281 | title=Banner 18 will have to wait; Boston Celtics fall to Warriors in Game 6 | date=17 June 2022 }}</ref>

====International====
* [[Macedonia national basketball team|Macedonian men's national team]], [[Eurobasket 2011]] – Macedonia hadn't had any success in basketball before and were considered one of weaker teams of the tournament. In group stages they unexpectedly beat Greece, Croatia and Slovenia and advanced to playoffs. In the quarterfinal they were considered underdogs against hosts Lithuania, but they managed to defeat the Baltic team 67–65 in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Macedonia finished fourth with a record of 6 wins and 4 losses only losing in double digits to Spain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballineurope.com/national-teams/macedonia-angola-olympic-qualifiers-8884/|title=Midnight for Cinderella? Angola shocks FYR Macedonia, 88–84 – BallinEurope|date=3 July 2012|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/bo-mccalebb-macedonia-2011-9|title=An American From New Orleans Is Leading Macedonia's Cinderella Run In The European Basketball Championships|first=Tony|last=Manfred|date=17 September 2011|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
* [[Poland national basketball team|Poland men's national team]], [[EuroBasket 2022]] - Poland joined at that tournament after harsh loss in eliminations of 2023 FIBA World Cup so they fell to pre-qualifiers of [[EuroBasket 2025]]. In group stage they beat Czechia, Israel and Netherlands. In knock-out stage after beating Ukraine(94-86) they made the biggest upset of tournament, defeating a title defender Slovenia 90–87, thankfully to fourth Eurobasket triple-double made by [[Mateusz Ponitka]]<ref>=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpik3Xh8d5Q</ref> Poland finished fourth with a record of 5 wins and 4 losses.

===Esports===

====''League of Legends''====
* [[Suning (esports)|Suning]] at the [[2020 League of Legends World Championship|2020 World Championship]] – Suning, which had posted a record of 17–5 in the first half of the 2017 LPL season, struggled to make it past the first round of the league's playoffs on certain occasions in 2018 and 2019 and failed to qualify for the World Championship in both of those years. After registering a 7–9 record in the first half of the [[2020 LPL season|2020 season]], Suning finished the second half with a record of 11–4 and defeated [[LGD Gaming]] 3–0 in the LPL championship to win their second title in the LPL and qualify for the World Championship for the first time in their history. Suning tied for first place with [[G2 Esports]] in Group A with a record of 4–2 and defeated G2 in the tiebreaker to have the advantage in the knockout stage, where they defeated [[JD Gaming]] 3–1 and [[Top Esports]] 3–1 to advance to the finals. Suning would lose the championship game of the tournament to [[Damwon Gaming]] 3–1.

===Golf===
* [[Tom Watson (golfer)|Tom Watson]] – Watson, a five-time open champion now in his late 50s, had a putt to win the [[2009 Open Championship]]. He missed, and eventually lost the playoff to [[Stewart Cink]].

===Handball===
* [[Poland men's national handball team|Poland men's national team]] ([[2007 World Men's Handball Championship]])
* [[Montenegro women's national handball team|Montenegro women's national team]] ([[Handball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2012 Summer Olympics]])
* [[Croatia women's national handball team|Croatia women's national team]] ([[2020 European Women's Handball Championship|Women's EHF Euro 2020]])

===Ice hockey===

====College====
* [[2009–10 RIT Tigers men's ice hockey season|RIT Tigers]] (2009–2010) – In their fifth season of Division I play, the RIT Tigers won the [[2010 Atlantic Hockey Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|Atlantic Hockey tournament]], receiving their first bid to an [[2010 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament]]. They defeated No. 1 [[Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey|Denver]] and No. 3 [[New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey|University of New Hampshire]] in the East Regional in Albany, New York to make it to the [[Frozen Four]]. They were the only team to make it to the Frozen Four in their first NCAA tournament appearance, as well as the only Atlantic Hockey team to make it to the Frozen Four.<ref name="RIT-Frozen-Four">{{cite news|last=Albright|first=David|title=RIT downs UNH, reaches Frozen Four|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5034580|access-date=November 15, 2011|date=March 28, 2010}}</ref> They lost to [[Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey|Wisconsin]] in the Frozen Four semifinals.

====National Hockey League====
* [[1980–81 Minnesota North Stars season|1980–81 Minnesota North Stars]] – The North Stars, who finished third in the [[Adams Division]] in the 1980–81 season, qualified for the playoffs as the ninth seed. in the league. The team defeated the [[1980–81 Boston Bruins season|Boston Bruins]] in three games, the [[1980–81 Buffalo Sabres season|Buffalo Sabres]] in five games, and the [[1980–81 Calgary Flames season|Calgary Flames]] in six games to reach the finals, where they lost to the [[1980–81 New York Islanders season|New York Islanders]] in five games.
* [[1981–82 Vancouver Canucks season|1981–82 Vancouver Canucks]] – The Canucks, who finished second in the [[Smythe Division]] with 77 points despite finishing in fourth place in the Campbell Conference, qualified for the playoffs as the second seed in the Smythe Division. They defeated the [[1981–82 Calgary Flames season|Calgary Flames]] in three games, the [[1981–82 Los Angeles Kings season|Los Angeles Kings]] in five games, and the [[1981–82 Chicago Black Hawks season|Chicago Blackhawks]] in five games to advance to the finals, where they were swept in four games by the [[1981–82 New York Islanders season|New York Islanders]].
* [[1990–91 Minnesota North Stars season|1990–91 Minnesota North Stars]] – The North Stars finished the regular season 12 games under .500 but pulled off three massive upsets to advance to that year's Stanley Cup finals. The North Stars upset the [[Presidents' Trophy]] winning [[1990–91 Chicago Blackhawks season|Chicago Blackhawks]] in six games in the first round of the playoffs, then pulled off another massive upset in round two by defeating the [[1990–91 St. Louis Blues season|St. Louis Blues]] in six games. The North Stars continued that momentum by upsetting the defending [[Stanley Cup]] champion [[1990–91 Edmonton Oilers season|Edmonton Oilers]] in five games in the Campbell Conference finals to advance to the [[1991 Stanley Cup Finals]] against the [[1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season|Pittsburgh Penguins]]. The North Stars' Cinderella run came to an end with an 8–0 game six loss, giving the Penguins their first [[Stanley Cup]] in team history.
* [[1993–94 Vancouver Canucks season|1993–94 Vancouver Canucks]] – The seventh seed in the Western Conference upset their division rival [[1993–94 Calgary Flames season|Calgary Flames]] in the first round in seven games after falling behind 3–1 in the series and rattled off 3 consecutive [[Overtime (ice hockey)|overtime]] wins to complete the comeback. The Canucks then upset the fourth seed [[1993–94 Dallas Stars season|Dallas Stars]] in the second round in five games to advance to the Western Conference finals against the [[1993–94 Toronto Maple Leafs season|Toronto Maple Leafs]]. They continued their momentum by upsetting the Maple Leafs in five games to advance to the [[1994 Stanley Cup Finals]] against the [[1993–94 New York Rangers season|New York Rangers]]. The Canucks fell behind 3–1 in the series to the Rangers, but won games five and six to force a seventh game in New York. Their playoff run fell one win short with a 3–2 loss in game 7, giving the New York Rangers their first [[Stanley Cup]] since 1940.
* [[1995–96 Florida Panthers season|1995–96 Florida Panthers]] – The 1995–96 season was the third in the NHL for the Panthers, who had been awarded as an expansion franchise in 1992. The team was composed of journeymen veterans and rookies and led by [[NHL All-Star Game|all-star]] goaltender [[John Vanbiesbrouck]].<ref name="Rat Pack">{{cite web |last=Montville |first=Leigh |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1008229/index.htm |title=Rat Pack |work=Sports Illustrated |date=1996-06-10 |access-date=2009-01-29}}</ref> The team finished in third place in the Atlantic Division during the season and qualified for the playoffs for the first time. In the playoffs, the Panthers defeated the [[1995–96 Boston Bruins season|Boston Bruins]] in five games, the [[1995–96 Philadelphia Flyers season|Philadelphia Flyers]] in six games, and the [[1995–96 Pittsburgh Penguins season|Pittsburgh Penguins]] in seven games to reach the [[1996 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]], where they were swept in four games by the [[1995–96 Colorado Avalanche season|Colorado Avalanche]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Pang |first=Darren |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=pang_darren&id=1648803 |title=Roy: More than a great goalie |publisher=ESPN |date=2003-10-29 |access-date=2009-01-29}}</ref>
* [[2001–02 Carolina Hurricanes season|2001–02 Carolina Hurricanes]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Carolina canes Detroit, forcing fans to stow brooms|date=June 5, 2002|first=Alan|last=Robinson|agency=Associated Press|quote=Carolina finished 25 points behind Detroit in the regular season, the largest gap in the finals since the Rangers' 27-point edge over Vancouver in 1994.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Hurricanes do Damage; They Stun Wings by Winning in OT|last=Marrapese-Burrell|first=Nancy|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=June 5, 2002|page=F1|quote=The impressive Cinderella team continued its giant-killing ways at Joe Louis Arena last night, beating the Red Wings at the 58-second mark of overtime, 3–2, and capturing Game 1 of this best-of- seven series.}}</ref> – Though the Hurricanes were seeded third as a division winner, having won the [[Southeast Division (NHL)|Southeast Division]], they actually had the second-lowest point total (91) and the lowest win total (35) for a playoff team not only in the Eastern Conference, but also the whole NHL; only 4 points ahead of Montreal (87). However, they defeated the [[2001–02 New Jersey Devils season|New Jersey Devils]], the [[2001–02 Montreal Canadiens season|Montreal Canadiens]], and the [[2001–02 Toronto Maple Leafs season|Toronto Maple Leafs]], all in six games, to reach the [[2002 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] for the first time, where they lost to the [[2001–02 Detroit Red Wings season|Detroit Red Wings]] in five games.
* [[2002–03 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season|2002–03 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]] – The seventh seed in the Western Conference upset the defending [[Stanley Cup]] champion [[2002–03 Detroit Red Wings season|Detroit Red Wings]] in a 4-game sweep in the first round of the playoffs, then upset the first-seeded [[2002–03 Dallas Stars season|Dallas Stars]] in six games in round two. The Mighty Ducks then swept another surprising team (the [[2002–03 Minnesota Wild season|Minnesota Wild]]) in the Western Conference finals to advance to the [[2003 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] against the [[2002–03 New Jersey Devils season|New Jersey Devils]]. The Ducks fell behind 2 games to 0 in the finals, but rebounded to win three of the next four games to force game 7. However, their Cinderella run came to an end with a 3–0 loss in game 7, giving the Devils their third [[Stanley Cup]] in team history. [[Jean-Sebastien Giguere]] would win the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]] as playoff MVP as a member of the losing team for his heroic efforts in backstopping the Ducks to the Stanley Cup Finals.
* [[2003–04 Calgary Flames season|2003–04 Calgary Flames]] – The sixth seed in the Western Conference, the Flames upset the third seed [[2003–04 Vancouver Canucks season|Vancouver Canucks]] in seven games in the first round of the playoffs, winning their first playoff series since 1989. The Flames then upset the [[Presidents' Trophy]] winning [[2003–04 Detroit Red Wings season|Detroit Red Wings]] in six games in round two, advancing to the Western Conference finals against the [[2003–04 San Jose Sharks season|San Jose Sharks]]. They continued their momentum by ousting the Sharks in six games to advance to the [[2004 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] against the [[2003–04 Tampa Bay Lightning season|Tampa Bay Lightning]]. Their playoff run fell one win short, losing 2–1 in game seven, giving the Lightning their first Stanley Cup.
* [[2005–06 Edmonton Oilers season|2005–06 Edmonton Oilers]] – The eighth seed of the Western Conference, the Oilers upset the [[Presidents' Trophy]] winning [[2005–06 Detroit Red Wings season|Detroit Red Wings]] in six games in round one of the [[2006 Stanley Cup playoffs|2006 playoffs]]. The Oilers then came back from a 2 games to 0 series deficit to defeat the [[2005–06 San Jose Sharks season|San Jose Sharks]] in six games in round two. After this, Edmonton defeated the [[2005–06 Anaheim Ducks season|Anaheim Ducks]] in just five games in the Western Conference finals, becoming the first eighth-seeded team to ever advance to play in the [[Stanley Cup Finals]], where they played the Eastern Conference champion [[2005–06 Carolina Hurricanes season|Carolina Hurricanes]]. The Hurricanes won three of the first four games to take a 3 games to 1 series lead, but the Oilers won the next two to force a winner-take-all game seven in Raleigh, North Carolina. However, the Oilers' luck finally ran out and they lost the game 3–1, giving the Hurricanes their first Stanley Cup.
* [[2009–10 Philadelphia Flyers season|2009–10 Philadelphia Flyers]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Cinderella ultimately a bridesmaid; Philly can't escape the noose this time|last=Gallagher|first=Tony|newspaper=Vancouver Province|date=June 10, 2010|page=A60}}</ref> – The Flyers, inconsistent for much of the season and battling injuries that left them at one point starting their fourth string goaltender ([[Johan Backlund]]), qualified for the [[2010 Stanley Cup playoffs|Stanley Cup playoffs]] in the final game of the season in a shootout win against their [[Flyers–Rangers rivalry|rival]] [[2009–10 New York Rangers season|New York Rangers]]. As the seventh seed, the Flyers upset the [[2009–10 New Jersey Devils season|New Jersey Devils]] in five games in the first round. In the second round, the Flyers defeated the [[2009–10 Boston Bruins season|Boston Bruins]] in seven games, in the process becoming only the fourth team in sports history to win a series in which they had trailed 3 games to 0 at one point. In the Eastern Conference finals, they needed just five games to defeat the eighth-seeded [[2009–10 Montreal Canadiens season|Montreal Canadiens]], who had been on something of a Cinderella run themselves; the Canadiens had defeated the top seeded [[2009–10 Washington Capitals season|Washington Capitals]] and defending champion [[2009–10 Pittsburgh Penguins season|Pittsburgh Penguins]]. In the finals, the Flyers lost in six games to the [[2009–10 Chicago Blackhawks season|Chicago Blackhawks]], who won their first Stanley Cup in [[1961 Stanley Cup Finals|49 years]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Sudden Death; Flyers' unforgettable run ends as Hawks win Cup|date=June 10, 2010|first=Sam|last=Carchidi|newspaper=Philadelphia Inquirer|page=C1}}</ref>
* [[2016–17 Nashville Predators season|2016–17 Nashville Predators]] – The Predators, who were dead last in the NHL's Western Conference at one point in the season, qualified for the [[2017 Stanley Cup playoffs|Stanley Cup playoffs]] as the second wild card. As the eighth seed, they swept the top-seeded [[2016–17 Chicago Blackhawks season|Chicago Blackhawks]] in the first round. They would then defeat the [[2016–17 St. Louis Blues season|St. Louis Blues]] in six games in the second round to advance to their first conference final in franchise history, in which they took down the [[2016–17 Anaheim Ducks season|Anaheim Ducks]] in six games. However, in the [[2017 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]], the Predators were defeated in six games by the [[2016–17 Pittsburgh Penguins season|Pittsburgh Penguins]], who became the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships since the Detroit Red Wings accomplished the feat in {{scfy|1997}} and {{scfy|1998}}.
* [[2017–18 Vegas Golden Knights season|2017–18 Vegas Golden Knights]] – As a new [[expansion team]] added to the NHL at the start of the [[2017–18 NHL season|2017–18 season]], composed of at least one player from each of the other 30 NHL teams, the Golden Knights were anticipated to have a very low chance to win the Stanley Cup or even reach the finals,<ref>{{cite news|last=Allen|first=Kevin|title=Ability to win in different ways puts Golden Knights on brink of Stanley Cup Final|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/columnist/allen/2018/05/18/vegas-golden-knights-winnipeg-jets-game-4-western-conference-final/625472002/|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=May 18, 2018|access-date=May 21, 2018}}</ref> with some even believing that they would have a dismal first season.<ref>{{cite news|last=Petchesky|first=Barry|title=Wow The Golden Knights Are Going To Be Bad|url=https://deadspin.com/wow-the-golden-knights-are-going-to-be-bad-1796327043|publisher=[[Gizmodo Media Group]]|website=[[Deadspin]].com|date=June 22, 2017|access-date=May 21, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Cutler|first=Teddy|title=Vegas Golden Knights Are Going to Suck in 2017–18 and Here's Why|url=http://www.newsweek.com/vegas-golden-knights-nhl-expansion-draft-2017-mar-andre-fleury-james-neal-628218|magazine=[[Newsweek]]|publisher=[[Newsweek Media Group]]|date=June 22, 2017|access-date=May 21, 2018}}</ref> However, Vegas unexpectedly played very well through the regular season,<ref>{{cite news |last=Paine |first=Neil |date=January 16, 2018 |title=Vegas Has The Best Expansion Team In The History Of Pro Sports, And It's Not Close |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/vegas-has-the-best-expansion-team-in-the-history-of-pro-sports-and-its-not-close/ |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |access-date=June 8, 2018}}</ref> taking control of the [[Pacific Division (NHL)|Pacific Division]] and earning 109 points by the time the [[2018 Stanley Cup playoffs|Stanley Cup playoffs]] began. The Golden Knights also made an improbable run to the [[2018 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]], defeating the [[2017–18 Los Angeles Kings season|Los Angeles Kings]], the [[2017–18 San Jose Sharks season|San Jose Sharks]] and the [[2017–18 Winnipeg Jets season|Winnipeg Jets]] while losing only three games.<ref>{{cite web|last=Katsilometes |first=John |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/golden-knights-nhl/stunned-jets-credit-golden-knights-it-was-their-time/ |title=Stunned Jets credit Golden Knights: 'It was their time' – Las Vegas Review-Journal |publisher=Reviewjournal.com |date=May 20, 2018 |access-date=June 8, 2018}}</ref> Entering the Finals against the [[2017–18 Washington Capitals season|Washington Capitals]], the Golden Knights boasted a seemingly impregnable defense, with a low goals against average and four shutouts, in part due to [[Marc-André Fleury]]'s impeccable goaltending. However, such defense soon proved to be no match for the determined and potent Capitals, who overwhelmed the Golden Knights in five games, with at least three goals per game, to claim their first Stanley Cup.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blackburn |first1=Pete |title=2018 Stanley Cup Final: 5 reasons why the Vegas Golden Knights' surprise story fell short |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/2018-stanley-cup-final-5-reasons-why-the-vegas-golden-knights-surprise-story-fell-short/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=4 July 2018 |date=8 June 2018}}</ref>
* [[2018–19 Columbus Blue Jackets season|2018–19 Columbus Blue Jackets]] – The [[Columbus Blue Jackets]] clinched the final spot in the [[2019 Stanley Cup playoffs]] following a 3–2 shootout win against the [[2018–19 New York Rangers season|New York Rangers]]. They would finish the regular season with 47 wins and 98 points. In the playoffs, the Blue Jackets would [[2019 Tampa Bay Lightning–Columbus Blue Jackets playoff series|upset]] the heavily favored and [[Presidents' Trophy]] winner [[2018–19 Tampa Bay Lightning season|Tampa Bay Lightning]] in a 4-game sweep to win their first playoff series in franchise history. However, their season ended after losing to the eventual [[Prince of Wales Trophy|Eastern Conference champions]] [[2018–19 Boston Bruins season|Boston Bruins]] in 6 games.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.1stohiobattery.com/columbus-blue-jackets-news/2019-stanley-cup-playoffs/2019/05/3668/blue-jackets-thrilling-playoff-run-comes-to-an-end-with-game-6-loss-to-the-boston | title=Blue Jackets' Thrilling Playoff Run Comes to an End with Game 6 Loss to the Boston Bruins | date=6 May 2019 }}</ref>
* [[2018–19 Carolina Hurricanes season|2018–19 Carolina Hurricanes]] – The Hurricanes have missed the playoffs and entered a period of mediocrity since losing to the eventual [[2009 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup]] champion [[2008–09 Pittsburgh Penguins season|Pittsburgh Penguins]] in the [[2009 Stanley Cup playoffs#(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes|Eastern Conference Finals]]. On April 4, 2019, the Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 10 years following a 3–1 victory against the [[New Jersey Devils]], ending one of the [[List of NHL franchise post-season droughts#Longest all-time droughts|longest NHL playoff droughts]] in history.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.si.com/nhl/2019/04/05/hurricanes-clinch-nhl-playoffs-berth | title=Canes clinch first playoff berth since '09|website=Si.com}}</ref> They clinched a wild card spot and took on the defending Stanley Cup champions, the [[2018–19 Washington Capitals season|Washington Capitals]], and defeated in 7 games in double overtime, becoming the fourth wild-card team to advance in the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.si.com/nhl/2019/04/25/stanley-cup-playoffs-capitals-hurricanes-highlights | title=Canes stun defending champs to close out wild first round|website=Si.com }}</ref> In the second round, they would sweep the [[2018–19 New York Islanders season|New York Islanders]] following a 5–2 victory in game 4, earning the franchise's first playoff sweep in a best-of-7 series.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/news/key-nhl-statistics-numbers-may-4/c-307210432 | title=Facts and Figures: Hurricanes complete first sweep in best-of-7 series|website=Nhl.com }}</ref> They would advance to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2009, as they would take on the [[2018–19 Boston Bruins season|Boston Bruins]]. However, the Hurricanes season ended after being [[2019 Stanley Cup playoffs#(A2) Boston Bruins vs. (WC1) Carolina Hurricanes|swept]] by the Bruins in 4 games.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/2019-nhl-playoffs-bruins-sweep-hurricanes-with-shutout-win-punch-ticket-to-stanley-cup-final/ | title=2019 NHL Playoffs: Bruins sweep Hurricanes with shutout win, punch ticket to Stanley Cup Final|website=Cbssports.com}}</ref>
* [[2019–20 Dallas Stars season|2019–20 Dallas Stars]] – The Stars, who had finished fourth in the Central Division during the previous season, were entering their second season under head coach [[Jim Montgomery (ice hockey)|Jim Montgomery]] when he was terminated from the organization in December 2019 for unprofessional behavior that was inconsistent with the team.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jim Montgomery dismissed as head coach of Stars |url=https://www.nhl.com/stars/news/jim-montgomery-dismissed-as-head-coach-of-dallas-stars/c-312388186 |website=Nhl.com |access-date=December 11, 2019 |date=December 10, 2019}}</ref> [[Rick Bowness]] would take over as the head coach of the team; he would lead the Stars to a 4–2 win over the [[2019–20 Nashville Predators season|Nashville Predators]] in the [[2020 NHL Winter Classic|Winter Classic]].<ref name="SN_Recap">{{cite news | url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/stars-rally-beat-predators-winter-classic-cotton-bowl/|title=Stars rally to beat Predators in Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Sportsnet|date=January 1, 2020}}</ref> The victory would mark the start of a comeback run that would ultimately result in a fourth-place finish in the Western Conference standings by the time the season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dallas would qualify for the playoffs as the third seed in the Western Conference after finishing third in the round-robin round.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/dallas-stars-st-louis-blues-game-recap/c-317515640|title=Stars defeat Blues in round-robin, secure No. 3 seed in West|last=Sadowski|first=Rick|publisher=NHL Enterprises, L. P.|date=August 9, 2020|website=NHL.com|access-date=August 9, 2020}}</ref> Dallas defeated the [[2019–20 Calgary Flames season|Calgary Flames]] in six games in the first round.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/dallas-stars-calgary-flames-game-6-recap/c-318569758|title=Stars use big rally to eliminate Flames in Game 6 of Western First Round|last=Vickers|first=Aaron|publisher=NHL Enterprises, L. P.|date=August 20, 2020|website=NHL.com|access-date=August 20, 2020}}</ref> In the second round against the [[2019–20 Colorado Avalanche season|Colorado Avalanche]], the Stars held a 3–1 series lead before Colorado forced a seventh game in the series; Dallas would win the seventh game in overtime to advance to the conference finals, where they would face the [[2019–20 Vegas Golden Knights season|Vegas Golden Knights]], who won their first conference final two seasons earlier and were heavily favored to advance to the finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/dallas-stars-colorado-avalanche-game-7-recap/c-318859210|title=Stars top Avalanche in Game 7, advance to Western Conference Final|last=Satriano|first=David|publisher=NHL Enterprises, L. P.|date=September 4, 2020|website=NHL.com|access-date=September 4, 2020}}</ref> Dallas would defeat Vegas in five games in the conference finals to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 2000, but ultimately went on to lose to the [[2019–20 Tampa Bay Lightning season|Tampa Bay Lightning]] in six games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/dallas-stars-vegas-golden-knights-game-5-recap/c-318994290|title=Stars defeat Golden Knights in OT in Game 5, reach Stanley Cup Final|last=Satriano|first=David|publisher=NHL Enterprises, L. P.|date=September 14, 2020|website=NHL.com|access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref>
* [[2020–21 Montreal Canadiens season|2020–21 Montreal Canadiens]] – After a 9–5–4 start early in the season, Montreal fired head coach [[Claude Julien (ice hockey)|Claude Julien]] and assistant [[Kirk Muller]], replacing them with assistant [[Dominique Ducharme (ice hockey)|Dominique Ducharme]]. Despite finishing 24–21–11 in the regular season, the Canadiens qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs, clinching the fourth and final spot in the North Division. In the playoffs, they overcame a 3–1 deficit to defeat the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] in the first round, followed by a sweep of the [[Winnipeg Jets]] in the second round.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Canadiens win Game 4 in OT, sweep Jets|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-montreal-canadiens-game-4-recap/c-325114716|access-date=2021-09-13|website=NHL.com|language=en-US}}</ref> In the Stanley Cup Semifinals, they defeated the [[Vegas Golden Knights]] in six games to become the first Canadian team to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals since the [[2010–11 Vancouver Canucks season|2010–11 Vancouver Canucks]], and marking their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals since [[1993 Stanley Cup Finals|1993]], where they were the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|author=The Athletic Staff|title=Canadiens reach first Stanley Cup Final since 1993 as Lehkonen nets OT winner|url=https://theathletic.com/news/canadiens-reach-first-stanley-cup-final-since-1993-as-lehkonen-nets-ot-winner/cBSd5Wzdt6V9|access-date=2021-09-13|website=The Athletic|language=en}}</ref> However, the Canadiens would lose the Stanley Cup Finals in five games as the Tampa Bay Lightning won their second straight Stanley Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lightning repeat as Stanley Cup champions, defeat Canadiens in Game 5|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/montreal-canadiens-tampa-bay-lightning-game-5-recap/c-325483294|access-date=2021-09-13|website=NHL.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[2021–22 Edmonton Oilers season|2021–22 Edmonton Oilers]] – A year after being swept by the [[Winnipeg Jets]] in the first round, including blowing a 4–1 lead in game 3, the [[Edmonton Oilers]], led by [[Hart Memorial Trophy|Hart Trophy]] winners [[Connor McDavid]] and [[Leon Draisaitl]], were expected to be Stanley Cup contenders. However, the team struggled during the first half of the season, including a 3–7–1 record in December.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://oilersnation.com/2021/12/11/why-have-edmonton-oilers-struggled-so-much-at-5v5-and-how-can-they-fix-this/ | title=Why have the Oilers struggled so much at 5v5, and how can they fix this? | date=11 December 2021 }}</ref> Following a 23–18–3 record, after which the Oilers lost to the [[2021–22 Chicago Blackhawks season|Chicago Blackhawks]], the team fired [[Dave Tippett]] as head coach and replaced him with [[Jay Woodcroft]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://edmontonsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/edmonton-oilers-fire-head-coach-dave-tippett-replace-him-with-jay-woodcroft | title=Edmonton Oilers fire head coach Dave Tippett, replace him with Jay Woodcroft|website=Edmontonsun.com}}</ref> In the second half of the season, the Oilers would turn their season around and go 26–9–3 down the stretch to finish the regular season with 49 wins and clinch second place in the [[Pacific Division (NHL)|Pacific Division]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/pre-game-report-oilers-vs-kings-game-1/c-333645388 | title=PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers vs. Kings (Game 1)|website=Nhl.com }}</ref> The Oilers would begin their playoff run by taking on the [[2021–22 Los Angeles Kings season|Los Angeles Kings]], defeating them in seven games despite trailing 3–2 in the series, advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since [[2017 Stanley Cup playoffs|2017]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/33918686/connor-mcdavid-edmonton-oilers-cap-round-1-comeback-eliminate-los-angeles-kings-game-7 | title=McDavid, Oilers top Kings, head to second round|website=Espn.com | date=15 May 2022 }}</ref> In the second round, the Oilers would then upset [[Battle of Alberta#Flames vs. Oilers|their rival]] [[2021–22 Calgary Flames season|Calgary Flames]] in five games following a game-winning goal in overtime from Connor McDavid to advance to their first Western Conference Finals since the aforementioned [[2005–06 Edmonton Oilers season|2006 season]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://clutchpoints.com/oilers-news-connor-mcdavid-reacts-to-making-flames-season-go-up-in-flames/ | title=Oilers' Connor McDavid Reacts to Making Flames' Season Go up in Flames|website=Clutchpoints.com | date=27 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/oilers-flames-game-5-nhl-recap-may-26-1.6467397|title=McDavid scores OT winner as Oilers eliminate Flames|website=Cbc.ca|access-date=2022-06-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2956492-2022-nhl-playoffs-br-staff-conference-finals-predictions | title=2022 NHL Playoffs: B/R Staff Conference Finals Predictions | website=[[Bleacher Report]] }}</ref> However, their run ended after being swept by the eventual [[2022 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup champion]] [[2021–22 Colorado Avalanche season|Colorado Avalanche]], including an overtime loss in game 4.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10037886-loss-to-avs-shouldnt-dampen-optimism-for-connor-mcdavid-and-the-oilers-in-the-future | title=Loss to Avs Shouldn't Dampen Optimism for Connor McDavid and the Oilers in the Future | website=[[Bleacher Report]] }}</ref>

====International====
* [[1993–94 Canada men's national ice hockey team|Canada Men's Olympic team 1994]] – The Canadian Men's National team was seeded 8th in Lillehammer eventually finishing second losing to the Swedes in a shootout. The team in fact led in the final two minutes of the game only to have their hopes dashed. Eventually Peter Forsberg scored perhaps the most iconic shootout goal in hockey history to give the Swedes the gold in the extra rounds of the shootout.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davidi |first1=Shi |title=People Call it White Gold |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/oral-history-canadas-1994-olympic-hockey-tournament/ |website=Sportsnet |publisher=Sportsnet |access-date=20 March 2019}}</ref>
* [[Slovakia men's national ice hockey team|Slovakia]] ([[2012 IIHF World Championship|2012 World Championship]]) – Slovakia was coming off of [[2011 IIHF World Championship|unsuccessful home tournament]] and the untimely death of Slovak hockey legend [[Pavol Demitra]] in the [[2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash]] during the year preceding the tournament. Not much was expected from the Slovak team that had not won a medal since 2003, but after barely qualifying for the playoffs as the 4th seed of their Group, they stunned Canada 4–3 in a thrilling quarterfinal, advancing to the semis for the first time since 2004. In the semifinal they defeated their biggest rival, Czech Republic 3–1 to advance to the gold medal game for the first time in 10 years. However, despite an early goal by [[Zdeno Chára]] after just 1:06 into the game, they were ultimately no match for Russia, losing to them 6–2 in a rematch of the 2002 final.
* [[Germany men's national ice hockey team|Germany]] ([[Ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament|2018 Winter Olympics]]) – The German ice hockey team had not won an Olympic medal since reunification; its last podium finish was in the [[Ice hockey at the 1976 Winter Olympics|1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck]], where the West German team won bronze (it had also won bronze at the [[Ice hockey at the 1932 Winter Olympics|1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid]]). At the Pyeongchang Olympics, the German team would eventually make it to the gold medal match, defeating powerhouses [[Sweden men's national ice hockey team|Sweden]] and [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Canada]] on the way, only to settle for silver after the [[Olympic Athletes from Russia at the 2018 Winter Olympics|Olympic Athletes from Russia]] scored the game-winning goal in overtime for a 4–3 victory.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2018-iceh-m-oar-ger-miracle/ice-hockey-silver-is-miracle-enough-for-germany-idUSKCN1G90AF|title=Ice hockey: Silver is miracle enough for Germany|last=Keating|first=Steve|date=2018-02-25|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-06-18|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Motorsport===
* [[Jackie Chan DC Racing]] ([[2017 24 Hours of Le Mans]]) – Into the morning, the leading LMP1 contenders were either lost to retirements or being forced to pit in to make essential repairs that ran for hours, causing them to fall out of contention; the lead fell to a No. 38 [[Oreca 07|Oreca]] of [[Ho-Pin Tung]], [[Thomas Laurent]] and [[Oliver Jarvis]], a first for a less powerful and less expensive secondary class LMP2 car.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jun/18/porsche-24-hours-le-mans-third-title|title=Timo Bernhard leads Porsche to third straight Le Mans 24 Hours triumph|last=Mans|first=Giles Richards at Le|date=18 June 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618142101/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jun/18/porsche-24-hours-le-mans-third-title|archive-date=2017-06-18|url-status=live|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":0a">{{Cite news|url=http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/15749/10919422/porsche-victorious-at-2017-le-mans-24-hours-as-unreliability-rocks-lmp1|title=Porsche victorious at 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours as unreliability rocks LMP1|work=Sky Sports|access-date=18 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621112253/http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/15749/10919422/porsche-victorious-at-2017-le-mans-24-hours-as-unreliability-rocks-lmp1|archive-date=2017-06-21|url-status=live|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a10159534/toyota-le-mans-pit-incident/|title=Watch the Strange Pit Lane Incident That Caused Toyota's Failure at Le Mans|last=Perkins|first=Chris|date=20 June 2017|website=[[Road & Track]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113221731/http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a10159534/toyota-le-mans-pit-incident/|archive-date=2017-11-13|url-status=live|access-date=13 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/40319871|title=24 Hours of Le Mans: Porsche take third successive victory|date=18 June 2017|work=BBC Sport|access-date=18 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622062614/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/40319871|archive-date=2017-06-22|url-status=live|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.eurosport.com/wec/le-mans-24hr/2017/le-mans-24hr-updates-toyota-sets-the-pace-in-le-mans-night_sto6220465/story.shtml|title=24 Hours of Le Mans: As it happened|date=18 June 2017|work=Eurosport|access-date=18 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621062337/http://www.eurosport.com/wec/le-mans-24hr/2017/le-mans-24hr-updates-toyota-sets-the-pace-in-le-mans-night_sto6220465/story.shtml|archive-date=2017-06-21|url-status=live}}</ref> The car held onto the lead until the last remaining two hours when the No. 2 [[Porsche 919 Hybrid|Porsche]] of [[Timo Bernhard]], [[Brendon Hartley]] and [[Earl Bamber]] (who had been out on the track after three and a half hours in the pits for front axle repairs) claimed the lead to the end.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://au.motorsport.com/lemans/video/storyline-the-2017-24-hours-of-le-mans-in-review-featuring-porsche-toyota-more-m1t-93198/130925/|title=Storyline – The 2017 24 hours of Le Mans In review, featuring Porsche, Toyota & More &#124; M1TG - Le Mans Videos|access-date=10 June 2022|website=Au.motorsport.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.lemans.org/en/news/highlights-of-2017-le-mans-24-hours-the-win-that-might-not-have-been/47769 | title=Flashback 2017 - 24 Heures du Mans : Porsche, une victoire qui revient de loin|website=Lemans.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/130226|title=Porsche defeats LMP2 cars to win 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours|last=Codling|first=Stephen Lickorish and Edd Straw and Stuart|website=Autosport.com|access-date=2017-06-18|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621232103/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/130226|archive-date=2017-06-21}}</ref>

===Rugby league===
* [[North Queensland Cowboys]] – In [[2004 NRL season|2004]], the [[North Queensland Cowboys]] reached the finals for the first time in their 10-year history.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-09-20/latham-backs-cinderella-story-cowboys/555462|title=Latham backs 'Cinderella-story' Cowboys|newspaper=ABC News|date=20 September 2004|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> Finishing seventh at the end of the regular season, the Cowboys were drawn against the second-placed [[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs|Bulldogs]] in the first week of the finals and pulled off a major upset by winning 30–22.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/12/1094789744787.html|title=Fearless Cowboys round up the Dogs – League – www.smh.com.au|date=12 September 2004|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> They followed this up with a 10–0 defeat of the [[Brisbane Broncos]] on their [[Willows Sports Complex|home ground]]; this marked the first time the Cowboys had defeated the Broncos in their history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/18/1095394063224.html?from=storylhs|title=Cowboys shut out Broncos in NRL semi – League – www.smh.com.au|date=18 September 2004|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> However their run would be ended with a close 19–16 defeat by the [[Sydney Roosters]] in the preliminary final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/26/1096137106010.html|title=Ready Roosters end Cows' dream run – League – www.smh.com.au|date=27 September 2004|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
* [[Wests Tigers]] – In [[2005 NRL season|2005]], the [[Wests Tigers]], in just their sixth season of existence, won the premiership. They had never previously made the finals in five seasons and had been as low as 12th on the NRL ladder by the middle of the season. However, they were able to find some good form in the second half of the season to eventually finish the regular season 4th on the ladder. In their first ever finals match, the Tigers scored a big 50–6 victory over the previous year's Cinderella story, the [[North Queensland Cowboys]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefanatics.com/sports.news.view.php?id=218231|title=Fanatics|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> This was followed up with a 34–6 victory over the [[Brisbane Broncos]] in the second week<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/league/tiger-cubs-savage-broncos/2005/09/18/1126981945308.html|title=Tiger cubs savage Broncos – League – Sport – theage.com.au|date=19 September 2005|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> before going on to upset the premiership favourites [[St. George Illawarra Dragons|St. George Illawarra]] 20–12 in the preliminary final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/league/dragons-dream-over-as-tigers-roll-on/2005/09/24/1126982272190.html|title=Dragons dream over as Tigers roll on – League – Sport – smh.com.au|date=24 September 2005|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> This advanced the Wests Tigers to their first ever [[2005 NRL Grand Final|Grand Final]], which was dubbed the "Battle of the Cinderellas", as their opponents were the North Queensland Cowboys who fell one game short of the decider in 2004 but went one better in 2005. The Tigers would then win the Grand Final 30–16 and complete their own Cinderella fairytale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/league/fairytale-for-wests-tigers/2005/10/02/1128191609599.html|title=Fairytale for Wests Tigers – League – Sport – theage.com.au|date=3 October 2005|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/league/wests-tigers-win-battle-of-the-cinderellas/2005/10/02/1128191609133.html|title=Wests Tigers win battle of the Cinderellas – League – Sport – theage.com.au|date=3 October 2005|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
* [[Sydney Roosters]] – Twelve months after finishing [[wooden spoon (award)|last]] in [[2009 NRL season|2009]], and seemingly being a club in disarray on and off the field, the [[Sydney Roosters]], under veteran coach [[Brian Smith (rugby league, born 1954)|Brian Smith]], conjured one of the greatest turnarounds in recent NRL history, finishing sixth at the end of the [[2010 NRL season]] and proceeding to reach the [[2010 NRL Grand Final|Grand Final]], in which they had the chance to become the first team since the [[Western Suburbs Magpies]] in 1933–34 to rise from wooden spooners to premiers in the space of twelve months but lost to the [[St George Illawarra Dragons]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-match-report/drought-finally-broken-as-dragons-reign-in-roosters-in-wet-20101004-162kz.html|title=Drought finally broken as Dragons reign in Roosters in wet|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=4 October 2010|access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref> Star recruit [[Todd Carney]], who spent most of the previous year in exile after being sacked by the [[Canberra Raiders]] in 2008, won the Dally M Medal in the lead-up to that season's finals series for his outstanding comeback season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-09-27/pearce-the-roosters-main-man-carney/2276160|title=Pearce the Roosters' main man: Carney|work=ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)|date=27 September 2010|access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/subplots-galore-as-rivals-chase-glory/tabid/10874/newsid/60502/default.aspx|title=Subplots galore as rivals chase glory|publisher=AAP|work=NRL.com|first=Steve|last=Jancetic|date=1 October 2010|access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/carney-wins-dally-m-from-farah-20100907-14zox.html|title=Carney wins Dally M from Farah|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=7 September 2010|access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref>

===Rugby union===
* [[Japan national rugby union team|Japan]] ([[2019 Rugby World Cup|2019]])

===Tennis===
* [[2008 Australian Open – Men's singles|2008 Australian Open]] – The tournament was best known for the run to the final of unseeded French player [[Jo-Wilfried Tsonga]]. He reached the championship match by defeating four seeded players, including ninth seed [[Andy Murray]] and second seed [[Rafael Nadal]]. Tsonga lost the championship match to [[Novak Djokovic]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-01-27/battling-djokovic-outlasts-tsonga/1024970|title=Battling Djokovic outlasts Tsonga|newspaper=ABC News|date=27 January 2008|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
* [[2021 US Open – Women's singles|2021 US Open]] – Teenager [[Leylah Fernandez]] defeated three top-5 players, including defending champion [[Naomi Osaka]], fifth seed [[Elina Svitolina]], and second seed [[Aryna Sabalenka]], before losing to [[Emma Raducanu]] in the final.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Works cited===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Vogel |first1=Greg |last2=Vieira |first2=Peter |year=2002 |title=IFMAR Electric Worlds: On-Road Upset! Tamiya Takes Touring Worlds |url=https://archive.org/details/Radio_Control_Car_Action_Magazine_2002-08/page/n59/mode/2up |journal=Radio Control Car Action |location=[[Wilton, Connecticut]] |publisher=[[Air Age Media]] |page=138 |access-date=5 June 2020}}<!-- {{sfn|Vogel|Vieira|2002|p=137}} -->
* {{cite journal |last=Spinner |first=Colin |date=September 2008 |title=Interview with a Legend |journal=Radio Controlled Car Racer }}
* {{cite journal |last=Haswell |first=Mike |date=August 2002 |title=On-Road Worlds 2002 |url=https://www.efra.ws/2002-1-12th-wc-krugersdorp-south-africa/ |journal=Radio Controlled Car International |access-date=5 June 2020}}
* {{cite journal |last=Gonzalez |first=George M |date=November 1998 |title=Battle of Britain: IFMAR Electric On-Road World Champs & ISTC World Cups |url=https://archive.org/details/Radio_Control_Car_Action_Magazine_1998-11/page/n37/mode/2up |journal= Radio Control Car Action |location=[[Wilton, Connecticut]] |publisher=[[Air Age Media]] |access-date=5 June 2020}}<!-- {{sfn|Gonzalez|1998|pp=92-104}} -->
* {{cite journal |last1=Haswell |first1=Mike |last2=McDonagh |first2=Jamie |last3=Emery |first3=Peter |year=1998 |title=Welcome to OnTrack '98 with RCCi |url=https://www.efra.ws/1998-pro-10-wc-south-tyneside-great-britain/ |journal=Radio Controlled Car International (OnTrack Supplement) |access-date=5 June 2020}}<!-- {{sfn|Haswell|McDonagh|Emery|1998|pp=2-14}} -->
* {{cite journal |last=Buono |first=Derek |date=January 2001 |title=2000 IFMAR Electric On-Road Worlds |url=https://archive.org/details/Radio_Control_Car_Action_Magazine_2001-01/page/n63/mode/2up |journal= Radio Control Car Action |location=[[Wilton, Connecticut]] |publisher=[[Air Age Media]] |access-date=5 June 2020}}<!-- {{sfn|Buono|2001|pp=170-178}} -->
{{refend}}

{{Cinderella}}

[[Category:Cinderella]]
[[Category:Cinderella]]
[[Category:Upsets]]
[[Category:Upsets]]

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