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The curse of the 'Group of Death' — when football giants crash out early
💡 The 'Group of Death' has ended the dreams of defending champions — and the 2026 format has shifted how these deadly draws play out.
Every World Cup has at least one "Group of Death" — a group so stacked with strong teams that at least one favorite is guaranteed to go home early. The term has haunted some of the biggest names in football history.
In 2014, Spain (the defending champions), the Netherlands, Chile, and Australia were all drawn together. Spain, who had won the previous World Cup and two European Championships, were eliminated after just two games. In 2002, France (the defending champion) crashed out without scoring a single goal.
The expanded 2026 format with 12 groups of 4 has actually made Groups of Death less common, since there are more groups to spread top teams across. But Tunisia's decision to fire their manager after matchday 1 proved that even in the new format, the group stage pressure can break teams apart.