World Cup History: 5 Top Teams that were Knocked Out in the Group Stages

One of the biggest charms of the FIFA World Cup is the no team is immune to failure. This has been perfectly illustrated in recent editions of the World Cup. Almost every year, we see at least one favourite get knocked out or struggle to get out of their group.

Four of the last five winners have been eliminated in the subsequent World Cup’s group stage. There can be a list of factors going into this.

Complacency and a sense of entitlement come to mind. When it comes to football, one must never be complacent. A single moment could change the fortunes of a nation. It has happened too many times over the past few years to be a one-off.

It takes grit, determination, and heart to succeed at these major tournaments and the underdogs have showed that in recent times. Once you lose these qualities, it is hard to do well, no matter how talented your players are.

Unrest within the team, bad decisions by the management along with a lack of unity within the squad can be factors. Sometimes it is a period of transition from one generation to the next. It has happened so many times and will continue to happen in the future.

Here are five strong teams who have failed miserably at recent World Cups.

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#5 Germany (2018)

Mesut Ozil, Julian Draxler, Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos

The Champions’ Curse has struck again this year, as we saw Germany finish bottom of their World Cup group in what was the third successive disaster of a title defence.

They went into Russia as the hot favourites to retain their crown and end the much fabled Champions’ Curse. However, it ended in disaster for them.

The Germans had a mix of the old guard and the new guard. Most of the squad had the experience of lifting the famous trophy in Brazil four years ago and it formed a solid core of players who knew how to win.

However, it could be attributed that age may have played a part in the Germans’ downfall. All the key players were not in their prime anymore. Germany was not playing with the same swagger and fluidity which has been consistent in a period of European inconsistencies.

Joachim Low had never lost before the semi-finals of a major tournament since taking over as the German coach, a run which has spanned six tournaments. Maybe there a was a degree of complacency within the squad. Overconfidence can be a major damning factor in a team’s downfall.

Germany left themselves absolutely wide open for counter-attacks so often and they got punished for it against Mexico. They just couldn't find a way to win. Die Mannschaft needed a last-minute free-kick from Toni Kroos to beat Sweden, but ultimately it did not matter.

They failed to break down a stern South Korean defence and paid for it by conceding two late goals. It was a major shock that the likes of Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller had failed on the international stage.

Out of all of the shocking early eliminations at recent World Cups, this might have been the most shocking one.

#4 France (2010)

Drijbil Cisse and Abou Diaby in disbelief after France were knocked out

France went into the 2010 World Cup in a very strange state. They were beaten finalists four years ago in Germany, but most of the team had aged heavily or retired altogether. It was a challenging time for Les Bleus.

A dismal showing at Euro 2008 followed, where the likes of Thierry Henry among others were past their prime. They almost did not even make the World Cup. A handball by Henry enabled France to score a crucial extra-time goal against the Republic of Ireland. It was not the right way to qualify and their performance in South Africa only made it worse.

There was a lot of uneasiness among the French from the get-go because of this controversy. They felt entitled and got something they did not deserve in a moment of desperation from their captain.

A failed preparatory camp saw William Gallas and Nicolas Anelka fall off bikes while Yoann Gourcuff was separated from the squad following differences. Anelka also had a major falling out with coach Raymond Domenech during half-time of their second group game against Mexico. Les Blues lost that game 2-0.

They were lucky to escape with a 0-0 draw in their opener against Uruguay and had a small chance of escaping the group with a game to go. However, it was quickly eradicated.

Patrice Evra got involved in a row during an open training session, adding even more disgrace to a disastrous World Cup campaign for the French. Anelka, Evra, and Henry were not involved in their final game against hosts South Africa.

They lost the game 2-1, a result which compounded the astonishing implosion of the French squad in 2010. They have since rebuilt nicely and have done a fairly decent job in the major tournaments since that utter humiliation.

#3 Italy (2010)

Italy had no answer to their early exit in 2010

Similar to France, Italy were riding high on a famous success in Germany. They had won their fourth World Cup and looked to build on the victory. A disappointing Euro campaign in 2008 was followed by abject failure in South Africa, as the Italians finished bottom of their World Cup group.

It was not nearly as bad as the French, but it was astonishing nevertheless. The Azzurri had shown the epitome of complacency throughout the entire tournament. They received perhaps the easiest group out of all the top teams, but somehow they still messed it up.

They did have a group of ageing players and most of the key players from 2006 had retired. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon got injured in the first game and missed the rest of the tournament while an overall lack of effort sealed their fate.

Italy had to come from behind in both of their opening two games against Paraguay and New Zealand after they lacked any sort of desire to win the games. There was not a proper backbone beyond Daniele De Rossi and Claudio Marchisio. Captain Fabio Cannavaro was also way past his prime.

A 3-2 defeat against Slovakia in their final game ended a miserable World Cup campaign that really should have gone on a lot longer. Italy rebounded by reaching the final of Euro 2012 but have continued to disappoint at World Cups.

They failed to make it out of their group in 2014, although it was a Group of Death. The Azzurri did not even qualify for this year's edition of the grand tournament. It really is a shame, as they have a squad strong enough to do well on this stage.

#2 France (2002)

Defending World Cup and Euro champions France were knocked out early in 2002

2010 was not the only time in recent history where France failed to get out of their World Cup group. They were the first victims of the Champions’ Curse as they fell at the first obstacle in Japan and South Korea.

France had won the 1998 World Cup on home soil and then Euro 2000 with a golden goal from David Trezeguet against Italy. They were riding high with Zinedine Zidane at the heart of the creative midfield. Like Germany this year, France were the hot favourites to go again and win it all.

However, Zidane suffered a quadriceps injury in a friendly just days before the World Cup began. They were going to be without their talisman for at least the first two group games.

The champions began their defence against Senegal, whose pace caught France out many times and troubled them to their core. A 1-0 win would lay down the marker for further success for Senegal, but it was the cause of abject disappointment for the French.

Youri Djorkaeff, who played a pivotal role in the success of the French in the past, was not up to it anymore and he was dropped, but it did not change much. A red card for Thierry Henry against Uruguay seemed to seal their fate, as they just managed to draw 0-0.

Zidane was back for their final group game against Denmark but it would not matter, as Les Bleus lost 2-0 in a must-win game. It was a case of excessive fatigue among the players.

They had all gone through a gruelling club season and could not do the job for their country. This was not a disgrace like 2010, rather a disappointment after such unheralded success, and the tired legs more than played a part in it.

#1 Spain (2014)

Spain had won two Euros and a World Cup before imploding in 2014

2014 was a time of change for Spain. They were the holders of both the World Cup and the European Championships and they were on top of the world, with an exceptional group of players in the squad.

However, there were problems. Lots of problems. Like every successful period in sports history, Spain's all-conquering era of dominance had to come to a crashing end at some point. Their core had been the same for years.

The likes of Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso, and Xavi Hernandez were not getting any younger. However, Vicente Del Bosque was insistent on sticking with the old guard.

Spain was tasked with a challenging group featuring the Netherlands and Chile but they were still expected to go through. However, a morale destroying 5-1 defeat in a rematch of the 2010 World Cup final put the entire footballing world in shock.

It was a landslide and the Spanish defence had collapsed like nothing we had ever seen. Changes were made for their second game against Chile, but it did not matter. They were beaten 2-0 as they became only the second team to be eliminated from the 2014 World Cup. They won 3-0 against Australia in the final game but it did not matter in the end.

The failure against faster and more unorthodox sides could be pointed at the ageing squad, as we have seen in most of the teams discussed here. The failure to adapt after being found out also played a massive role in Spain's downfall.

Tiki-taka was countered with pace and pressing. Barcelona had struggled in the Champions League in the previous few seasons, serving as a warning sign for Del Bosque. However, he remained rigid and, just like that, Spain’s reign of dominance was over.

It was a sad end to the greatest period in Spain's footballing history.