Now that the 2026 FIFA World Cup has concluded, let’s take a look at some of the biggest losers who underperformed at this year’s tournament.
The Netherlands have been one of the most competitive international teams in world soccer over the last decade but found themselves knocked out of this year’s World Cup in the Round of 32 by Morocco. The Dutch previously lost in the semifinals of UEFA Euro 2024 to England and were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup by the eventual champions, Argentina.
The Dutch have certainly had the talent and quality to win a major international trophy in recent years but have continually come up short, and this summer was no exception. The Netherlands performed well in the group stage, winning Group F with seven points, but drew a difficult Round of 32 matchup against a Morocco squad that reached the World Cup semifinals in 2022.
Despite their tough draw, the Netherlands lost on penalties, resulting in their early exit from the tournament and the sacking of manager Ronald Koeman. The Netherlands are still a young squad filled with top talent, but they will need a new manager to get the best out of this group as they look ahead to Euro 2028.
Brazil was once known as one of the powerhouses of international soccer and a team that struck fear into opponents with its immense skill and flair. However, their performances over the last three World Cups have seen them eliminated in the quarterfinals or earlier, raising the question of whether Brazil still deserve to be considered among the world’s elite international teams.
After being knocked out in the quarterfinals of both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Brazil took another step backward after being upset by Norway in the Round of 16. They enjoyed success in the group stage, winning Group C with seven points, but severely underperformed against Norway when it mattered most. Brazil missed an early penalty and couldn’t convert their chances throughout the match, while opposing striker Erling Haaland capitalized with a brace to send Brazil out of the tournament.
Brazil hired legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti in May 2025, but he will need to seriously evaluate the future of Brazilian soccer now that Neymar has retired from international football if Brazil are to return to the dominance they enjoyed throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Ever since Germany’s 2014 World Cup victory, they have underperformed at nearly every major tournament. They failed to advance out of the group stage in both 2018 and 2022 before being upset by Paraguay in this year’s Round of 32. Germany showed signs of a resurgence in the group stage, topping Group E with six points, but couldn’t get past a gritty Paraguay side and eventually lost in a penalty shootout.
Germany’s issues certainly aren’t due to a lack of talent, but they have been out of the international spotlight for quite some time. Their last deep run in a major tournament came at UEFA Euro 2024 on home soil, where they lost to eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinals.
Following their disappointing World Cup, Germany announced the hiring of former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. After a disappointing decade of German soccer, Klopp will have the difficult task of reigniting the national team and turning Germany back into a serious contender with Euro 2028 on the horizon.
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