Playing in a World Cup is already an unparalleled achievement for a footballer but playing in a World Cup for a host country is even more special as it gives you the opportunity to shine in front of your own fans and in the eyes of the world. But this comes with extra pressures like not letting down these same fans as well as putting in a good turnout in the tournament.
Throughout the 22 editions, only a few host teams have disappointed and have failed to have an acceptable tournament and have been knocked out early:
They became the first host to fail to win the tournament. In a tournament with few participants, they debuted with victory against Belgium but then lost to Italy 3-1 and were left without a title.
The Aztecs came to this tournament excited but could not reach the defining stages. A 0-0 draw against the USSR and victories against El Salvador and Belgium put them in the second round. There they faced Italy and lost 4-1 resoundingly and their hopes were dashed.
With the history of Germany and Argentina as champions in previous World Cups, the disappointment was huge for The Red. They went through to the second phase but met England and Italy, the future champions, and were eliminated.
A draw against Switzerland and a victory against a very good Colombian team left the North American team with very good chances for the last game of the group stage, but the loss against Romania made them finish third and they had to face Brazil, who he would end up keeping the title.
The Bafana Bafana were close to winning the opening match against Mexico but they squandered their chances and the road was difficult for them. They were thrashed by Uruguay 3-0 and needed a miracle against France to advance to the stage, but they failed to do so despite beating the Gauls 2-1.
The Qataries were much inferior in Group A. In the opening match they fell 2-0 against Ecuador without disturbing the South American team. They couldn’t beat Senegal or the Netherlands and left “their World Cup” with 1 goal scored and 7 conceded in 3 games.
The next edition of the World Cup will be in charge of the United States, Canada and Mexico and will be held in 2026 under a new format with more teams.
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