Six World Cup Champions Eliminated Early in Following Tournaments

In football tradition, the reigning World Cup champion is typically seen as the favorite to win the next tournament. However, this expectation has often been overturned on the World Cup pitch, particularly in recent editions.

The sport’s most prestigious competition has witnessed a recurring phenomenon where the defending champion is eliminated in the group stage of the following World Cup. This pattern has become a notable feature, with four of the last six champions exiting the tournament at the earliest phase.

Since the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, the defending champion has been eliminated in the first round of the next tournament on six occasions across 22 editions.

Although the upcoming World Cup’s format allows the best eight third-placed teams from the 12 groups to advance, the risk of an early exit remains, even if minimal, for the current champion Argentina. Argentina is placed in Group 10 alongside Mexico, Algeria, and Austria.

The following overview highlights the teams that have suffered from this so-called "champion’s curse" in World Cup history.

Italy’s Early Exit in 1950 World Cup

Italy entered the 1950 World Cup in Brazil as the two-time defending champion, having won in 1934 and 1938. Despite this, Italy was eliminated early after finishing second in their group, which included Sweden and Paraguay, following India’s withdrawal from the group.

Italy lost 2-3 to Sweden but defeated Paraguay 2-0, finishing with two points—one point behind Sweden, who advanced further in the competition.

Brazil’s Group Stage Departure in 1966

Brazil faced a similar fate in the 1966 World Cup hosted by England, following their titles in 1958 and 1962. Despite the presence of star player Pelé, Brazil was surprisingly eliminated in the group stage.

Brazil began strongly with a 2-0 win over Bulgaria but then lost 1-3 to Hungary and 1-3 to Portugal. They finished third in their group with two points, behind Portugal and Hungary, who progressed in the tournament.

France’s Shock Exit in 2002

France’s participation in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan was marked by a shocking early exit, only four years after winning the World Cup on home soil.

Led by Zinedine Zidane, France finished last in their group with just one point. They lost 0-1 to Senegal in the opening match, drew 0-0 with Uruguay, and lost 0-2 to Denmark, a result that stunned fans and analysts alike.

Italy’s Repeat Early Exit in 2010

Italy again fell victim to the "champion’s curse" at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, following their 2006 championship win in Germany.

Despite being in a relatively manageable group, Italy finished last with only two points. They drew 1-1 against Paraguay and New Zealand before suffering a 2-3 defeat to Slovakia, ending their campaign prematurely.

Spain’s Group Stage Elimination in 2014

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil saw the early elimination of Spain, the 2010 champions. Despite retaining many key players from their winning squad, Spain performed poorly in the tournament.

Spain suffered a heavy 1-5 loss to the Netherlands in their opening match, followed by a 0-2 defeat to Chile. Although they won their final group match 3-0 against Australia, it was insufficient to advance, leading to an early exit.

Germany’s Group Stage Exit in 2018

For the third consecutive World Cup, the defending champion was eliminated in the group stage, with Germany being the latest victim in the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Germany entered the competition as four-time champions but faced a disappointing campaign. They lost 0-1 to Mexico in the opening match, won 2-1 against Sweden in the final moments, but were defeated 0-2 by South Korea in their last group game, resulting in an early departure.