The FIFA World Cup is made of beautiful stories and… DISAPPOINTMENTS. In that context, several players and national teams bow out of the tournament with their heads down.

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One of the favorites, Germany could have won their FIFTH title and matched Brazil. But they fell to Paraguay (third place in the group stage) as early as the Round of 32.

Messi’s strike partners

Argentina reached the final, largely thanks to Messi. Lautaro Martínez scored only three goals in seven games. Julián Alvarez was even worse, with one goal in eight matches.

Few fans were truly confident about a sixth title, but going out as early as the Round of 16 disappointed even the pessimists. It’s now been 24 years without lifting the World Cup.

A nailed-on starter, the forward delivered underwhelming performances. He provided just one assist in the 2–1 win over Egypt. After an injury, he was even on the bench against Norway, but did not come on.

📸 JEWEL SAMAD – AFP or licensors

He scored his first World Cup knockout-stage goal (from the penalty spot). And that was it. Even with a promising generation and a terrific midfield, he said goodbye to the World Cup as early as the Round of 16.

They still managed to be eliminated in a group that included Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. With only two points, they did not even secure a place among the best third-placed teams.

Turkey

They lost to Australia and Paraguay and were already out of contention for qualification. Afterwards, they did at least beat the United States in a melancholy farewell.

Thomas Tuchel

He did earn a respectable third place, it’s true, but he “killed” the team with his changes when England were leading Argentina 1–0 in the semifinal.

📸 Justin Setterfield – 2026 Getty Images