The World Cup is barely past the halfway mark, but there are already some very clear aberrations from what we expected before this tournament began.
With so many fresh faces on almost every team’s roster, there was no shortage of storylines to follow. Yet, seven games in, we’re already feeling a little bit of déjà vu.
From favorites that have yet even to escape the group stages failing to deliver to Dark Horses going home empty-handed, we take a look at some of the most disappointing teams in the World Cup so far:
1. Qatar
Qatar’s maiden World Cup campaign ended with the 2022 hosts setting an unwanted record on Tuesday.
A 2-0 defeat at the hands of Holland saw Qatar become the first host nation in FIFA Men’s World Cup history to lose all three of their group games.
The Qataris have been widely criticized for their performance in the tournament. Many believe they must take advantage of being hosts and improve as much as other countries.
2. Germany
The football world was shocked on Thursday as Germany was knocked out of the World Cup at the group stages. This was for the second time in a row.
Germany failed to advance in the 2018 World Cup, and things aren’t looking great this time.
The elimination on Thursday came as Japan stunned Spain 2-1 in the other Group E match, which gave those two teams a spot in the Round of 16.
Germany finished third in the Group E standings, behind Spain on goal difference, with Japan top following their 2-1 win over the Spaniards.
3. Canada
Canada’s first World Cup since 1986 is over after a humbling 4-1 defeat to Croatia on Sunday, where they failed to score a goal in their three group games.
Canada had been the only team in Group A not to register a single shot on goal in their last game against Morocco. Things didn’t get any better in their final match against Croatia, who scored four goals in a matter of minutes to send Canada packing.
Canada’s coach said after the match that his team was constantly done in by a lack of organization from front to back. They could only string together a few passes or long stretches of possession, which ultimately led to them being unable to create enough chances on goal.
4. Belgium
Belgium’s run in the world cup has been full of controversies. The side was allegedly involved in a fight behind the scenes between its players. While many have lauded the side as one of the biggest letdowns that modern football has been.
Their crash from the group stages marks the end of their golden generation and ranking as the No.1 team. With the squad boasting the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku, to name a few, Belgium’s “Golden Generation” will likely end without major silverware.
