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

#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.