The Five Most Disappointing Teams at the World Cup So Far
From Turkey's shocking collapse to Belgium's aging golden generation, these are the teams that have fallen furthest short of expectations through the first two weeks of the tournament.
I, like everybody else, enter the World Cup with expectations.
Some of those expectations are grounded in reality. France is going to be good. Argentina is going to be dangerous. Brazil is going to play with swagger. Other expectations are more irrational. I convince myself that certain teams are ready to make that leap, that a sleeping giant is finally awake or that some dark horse is going to ride a wave of momentum all the way to glory. Sometimes those hopes are rewarded. More often, though, they’re obliterated in spectacular fashion. That’s part of what makes the World Cup so beautiful and maddening all at once. Every four years we collectively convince ourselves we know how the story is going to unfold, only for the tournament to laugh in our faces.
This year’s edition has been no different. There are a handful of teams that have blown me away. Norway, for instance, looks like the real deal. The United States has exceeded just about everybody’s expectations. Cape Verde has captured the imagination of the entire tournament in just two weeks. But for every pleasant surprise, there’s an equal and opposite disappointment lurking around the corner. Some of these teams have already been eliminated. Others remain technically alive but have looked so uninspiring that it’s hard to imagine them doing anything meaningful from here on out. Whatever the case may be, these are the five nations that have left me scratching my head the most.
Honorable mention: Portugal
I’m giving Portugal a pass for now, mostly because it’s only played one game as of me writing this. That game, admittedly, was pretty dreadful. A draw against DR Congo is not exactly the type of result that inspires confidence, particularly when the Portuguese entered the World Cup with legitimate hopes of making a run.
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be one of the strangest players to evaluate in world football. He’s still capable of moments of brilliance, but I can’t shake the feeling that Portugal is bending itself backward around him rather than the other way around. Still, Spain looked mediocre in its opening match before bouncing back in emphatic fashion, and there’s no reason Portugal can’t do the same. For now, it escapes the list.
5. Uruguay
Truthfully, Uruguay is only here because I needed a fifth team.
That sounds harsh, but it’s meant as a compliment. I didn’t expect much from Uruguay entering the tournament. On paper, this squad should terrify people. It’s won two World Cups, 15 Copa América titles and has produced some of the most entertaining footballers the game has ever seen. That small country of just 3.38 million people — around the same number of people who live in Iowa — breathes football. Yet for the last several years, Uruguay has felt a bit stuck between eras, not quite old enough to rebuild and not quite talented enough to contend. Two draws against a lackluster Saudi Arabia and upstart Cape Verde have only reinforced that feeling. Nothing about Uruguay has looked particularly dangerous. Nothing has looked especially terrible either, which somehow makes things worse. This team just feels flat, and that’s one of the worst sins a nation can commit at the World Cup.
4. Ecuador
I’m placing all the blame on Brendan Hunt for this one.
For those unaware, Hunt plays Coach Beard on Ted Lasso and is one of the biggest soccer sickos on planet Earth. Before the tournament, he floated the idea that Ecuador could make a run to the semifinals. Yes, you heard me right. Ecuador.
At the time, I laughed. It felt ridiculous. Ecuador? Really, Brendan? And yet the more I thought about it, the more it kind of made some sense.
This is a team with a stout defense, some legitimate talent throughout the lineup and a favorable group featuring Germany, Côte d’Ivoire and Curaçao. Advancing to the knockout rounds wasn’t just possible — it was expected. Heck, winning the group wasn’t entirely out of the question if Germany stumbled, and goodness knows how many times that’s happened over the past decade. Then the games actually started, and Ecuador promptly lost to Côte d’Ivoire before managing a draw against Curaçao. Suddenly that semifinal talk feels like a fever dream. There’s still a path forward, sure, but the margin for error is gone. More importantly, the swagger that made Ecuador such an intriguing pick in the first place seems to have disappeared faster than Houdini.
3. Senegal
Senegal will tell you it’s the rightful king of Africa — and it might be right.
This is one of the most talented squads on the continent and one of the most physically imposing teams in the world. Drawn into a group with France, Norway and Iraq, the Lions of Teranga had a difficult road ahead of them, but it never felt unreasonable to expect them to take points off at least one of the European heavyweights.
Instead, they’ve looked overwhelmed.
France bullied them in the second half of their opening match, and Norway made them look a step slow for long stretches in a 3-2 defeat. The talent is still there. The athleticism hasn’t vanished overnight. But so far, Senegal has looked more like a collection of talented players than a cohesive unit. That’s disappointing because I genuinely thought this team had quarterfinal potential. Now I’m not entirely convinced it would’ve beaten Cape Verde.
2. Belgium
For years we’ve talked about Belgium’s golden generation as if it were inevitable. Kevin De Bruyne. Romelu Lukaku. Thibaut Courtois. Eden Hazard before injuries robbed him of his powers. On paper, this group should’ve won something. Instead, it’s become one of international soccer’s greatest “what ifs.”
And now?
Now it just looks old.
Through two matches, Belgium has managed draws against Egypt and Iran. In years past, Belgium would’ve bulldozed both teams. Instead, the Red Devils have looked hesitant, slow and strangely devoid of urgency. I thought this tournament would serve as one last rallying cry, one final chance for a generation of players to remind the world how talented they are. The opposite has occurred. Apart from a Lukaku-forced own goal, Belgium’s attack has looked lifeless. There’s still talent here, obviously. But the magic is gone. Watching Belgium these days feels a bit like revisiting your favorite childhood amusement park only to realize all the rides are rusting.
That’s depressing. Moving on!
1. Turkey
What in the world happened here?
Seriously.
Over 60 shots in two matches against Australia and Paraguay.
Zero goals.
Paraguay played an entire half with 10 men after a red card, and Turkey still couldn’t find the back of the net. I spent most of that match alternating between laughter and genuine concern. How is this possible? How does a team create so much and produce absolutely nothing?
That’s what makes Turkey the most disappointing team at the World Cup.
The expectations weren’t just high — they were somewhat astronomical. This was everybody’s favorite dark horse. Turkey wasn’t merely supposed to make the knockout rounds, but it was supposed to win Group D, take down the United States in the process and announce itself as a genuine contender. After years of relying heavily on its diaspora community, this team was built around homegrown Turkish talent and represented what many believed was the dawn of a new era.
Instead, it’s been a national nightmare. All the swagger, all the confidence and all the pre-tournament bravado have evaporated. Turkey entered the World Cup like a heavyweight walking toward the ring, chest puffed out and fists clenched. Two matches later, it’s heading home with its tail between its legs and a whole lot of unanswered questions.
Maybe that’s the lesson here. At the World Cup, hope is a dangerous thing if it’s placed in the wrong hands. And nobody learned that lesson harder than Turkey.