Two teams, nine World Cup titles. Brazil and Germany, unsurprisingly, always begin every FIFA World Cup as title challengers. Yet in 2026, both were sent packing by rare guests at the tournament.
Paraguay eliminated Germany on penalties, and Norway shut the door on Brazil.
Across the last 22 editions of the tournament, at least one of the two reached the final 14 times, which begs the question: Did Brazil and Germany read the script wrong?
Germany, under young coach Julian Nagelsmann, arrived at the 2026 World Cup with a blend of youth and experience, but his selection raised several questions about consistency.
Manuel Neuer, the only remaining member of the 2014 squad, returned as Germany’s No. 1 after two years. In doing so, he replaced Oliver Baumann, whom Nagelsmann had previously backed as his first-choice goalkeeper.
The result: Germany failed to keep a clean sheet for the second consecutive World Cup. Neuer was in goal for both campaigns.
Goalkeeper Maneul Neuer goes past Lothar Matthaus' previous record of 39 years and 91 days, set at EURO 2000, to become the oldest man to play at a major event for Germany.
However, the veteran has been denied a clean sheet by a spirited Curacao side in this milestone game at… pic.twitter.com/ZerfMMZUJA
A long domestic season and the injuries that followed did not help Germany’s cause.
Serge Gnabry, who would otherwise have been the highest goalscorer in Germany’s 2026 squad, missed the tournament because of a thigh injury. Nico Schlotterbeck then injured his ankle during the World Cup, leaving Germany scrambling for alternatives against Paraguay.
Selection also proved costly. Starting Deniz Undav, a striker, ahead of Jamal Musiala, an attacking midfielder, altered the team’s shape midway through the tournament. Undav had sparkled as a super-sub, scoring two goals and providing as many assists. But as a starter against Paraguay, he barely threatened. He failed to register a shot on target and completed just 60 per cent of his passes.
“We keep treating the symptoms. We change the system, the line-up, the players’ positions, far too often. We are in a permanent debate about how Germany actually wants to play,” Phillip Lahm, the captain of Germany’s victorious 2014 side, wrote for The New York Times.
Philipp Lahm, centre, lambasted the way things went for Germany, as he saw his country go from lifting the World Cup in 2014 to suffer a second-round exit 12 years later. | Photo Credit: AP
Germany is among the highest-scoring teams in World Cup history. Yet it has struggled to produce elite goalscorers on the biggest stage since Miroslav Klose and Thomas Mueller, two of the icons of the 2014 side.
“... Germany was always at its strongest when it took the individual quality it had, married it to a robust, assertive mentality, put its best players on the pitch and forged them into a real unit. That is exactly what is not happening. You need a core group to take responsibility,” Lahm added.
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Lahm’s call for “responsibility” could not have been more evident than before the shootout. Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown and Malick Thiaw reportedly refused to take penalties, leaving Jonathan Tah, who had never taken a spot-kick in senior international football, to step up and shoot off target.
Brazil, meanwhile, had different fault lines, although selection remained a major talking point there as well, especially around the country’s leading goalscorer in men’s football, Neymar.
🚨𝙉𝙚𝙮𝙢𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡🚨
Details: https://t.co/IDZetacTsi#FIFAWorldCup | 📸: AP pic.twitter.com/ps7tsd4VJq
The 34-year-old former Barcelona forward walked into the squad after nearly three years, having registered six goals and four assists across all competitions last season. João Pedro, Chelsea’s highest goalscorer in the 2025-26 season with 20 goals and nine assists, was overlooked. Legacy, here, outranked form, and that came back to bite Brazil.
“I think this elimination starts with the decisions from the bench,” Ronaldo Nazario was quoted by Spanish outlet AS. “Carlo Ancelotti is one of the best coaches in football history, but tonight he made too many mistakes.
“I still do not understand why João Pedro was not part of this squad. He has had an outstanding season, he is in form, and Brazil needed a striker who could offer something different.”
Joao Pedro, who almost scored at will for Chelsea in the 2025-26 season, was ignored for Brazil’s World Cup squad despite having a better record in recent times compared to Neymar. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Injuries and poor decision-making hurt Brazil as well. Raphinha and Lucas Paqueta, both first-team regulars, picked up injuries midway through the tournament.
Meanwhile, Endrick, one of the most promising teenagers in global football, got only 111 minutes across four matches. Bruno Guimaraes, despite having fewer penalty goals for his club last season than Vinicius Jr., took Brazil’s spot kick, which was saved by Orjan Nyland.
“Every time he (Endrick) came into this tournament, he brought energy, aggression, and unpredictability. Yet he spent most of the World Cup on the bench. I do not understand that,” Ronaldo added. The erosion was evident. Brazil’s joga bonito was missing. The elan of attacking to score and playing to win was what made the Selecao dangerous and, at times, terrifying. That virtue now seems to have been replaced by caution.
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Brazil had 34 per cent possession against Norway, its lowest in a World Cup match since records began in 1966. Norway also had better pass accuracy (91 per cent), more shots on target (5) and more than double the number of passes (653 vs 313). Brazil relied on counter-attacks, ceded possession and was ultimately made to suffer by a younger attack against an ageing defence as the soul of the Canary Yellow withered away from the World Cup.
Part of the blame must fall on Ancelotti, who, despite his illustrious resume, failed to get the act together when it mattered most. Some responsibility must also rest with the players, who squandered two clear goalscoring opportunities, one each through Guimaraes and Endrick.
With the score still 0-0, Ancelotti makes a change in the 58th minute: Endrick comes on for Cunha.
A minute later, a superb pass from Vinicius Jr. leaves Endrick in a one-on-one situation against Nyland but the youngster sends his shot wide!#FIFAWorldCup | 📸: Getty Images… pic.twitter.com/GPk45CzaqR
But heads must roll before it is too late. Brazil had never waited more than 24 years to reclaim the World Cup. The exit in 2026 means its current drought will continue until 2030.
“If I were the head of the Brazilian Football Association, I would immediately tear up the contract with Ancelotti. There is no reason for him to continue as coach,” said an angry Romario, who won the 1994 World Cup with Brazil, on his YouTube channel.
Brazil and Germany, two World Cup titans, have fizzled out as a consequence of poor decision-making.
Germany has already begun its rebuild, replacing Nagelsmann, with UEFA Champions League-winning Juergen Klopp.
Brazil, however, is expected to stick with Ancelotti until 2030.
Carlo Ancelotti (right) moved on from Real Madrid after becoming its most successful manager, but his task will only keep getting tougher in Brazil after the team’s round of 16 exit. | Photo Credit: AP
For decades, the World Cup script almost always had Brazil and Germany making deep runs. But in 2026, they were reminded once again that history guarantees nothing. Unless the two giants rediscover the identities that made them champions, the next script may not feature them at all.
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Published on Jul 22, 2026